Graeme Murty names strong side for Blackburn semi-final as Sunderland look to book place in Premier League Cup final
Harrison Jones, Milan Aleksic and Ahmed Abdullahi all start as Sunderland’s Under-21s look to book their place in the Premier League Cup final against Blackburn Rovers at the Stadium of Light.
Graeme Murty has named a strong XI for the semi-final clash, with Jenson Jones, Jaydon Jones and captain Harrison Jones also included as the young Black Cats aim to continue an impressive run in the competition.
After finishing second in Group H, Sunderland progressed to the knockout stages and have since seen off Nottingham Forest and Watford to reach the last four. Finn Geragusian’s second-half strike and a brace from Lewis Campbell secured a 3-1 win over Watford in the quarter-final at Eppleton last month.
Murty’s side head into the game in confident mood despite a 2-1 defeat at Derby County on Easter Monday, with their place in the end-of-season Premier League 2 play-offs already confirmed. There is also added motivation for Sunderland, who were knocked out at the round-of-16 stage last season by Burnley and are now just one game away from reaching their first ever final in this competition.
Blackburn arrive on Wearside having endured a difficult run of form, losing five of their last seven matches in all competitions, although they did record a 2-0 victory over Burnley in PL2 action at the weekend. Rovers finished second in their group - which included Watford, Coventry City and Leyton Orient - before beating Ipswich and Reading to reach the semi-finals. Midfielder Brandon Powell has been their standout performer this season, leading the scoring charts with seven goals.
With Burnley already through to the final after beating West Brom, the stakes are clear. Wednesday’s winners will face the Clarets, with a draw set to determine who hosts the showpiece. The semi-final will be decided on the night, with extra time and penalties in place if required - as Sunderland look to take one more step towards silverware.
Sunderland starting XI: Joe Cowan, Finlay Holcroft, Alex Lienard, Ben Kindon, Jenson Jones, Jaydon Jones, Harrison Jones, Jack Whittaker, Fin Geragusian, Milan Aleksic
Sunderland subs: Ben Metcalf, Felix Scott, Archie Lightfoot, Tom Proctor, Charlie Dinsdale
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