Sunderland host Stoke City in the Championship on Saturday (kick-off 12:30 GMT).
Here's a recap of the main lines from Black Cats boss Regis Le Bris' pre-match news conference:
Defender Dennis Cirkin is available after being ruled out of the past three matches due to a wrist injury.
On Chris Mepham's suspension: "The back four is a big strength for us because we have many options, even with suspensions or injuries. It's the rules, and we have to deal with the rules."
On converting their chances: "It's the only focus we should have at the minute - how we can create more chances and how we can convert the chances we have to score.