Sunderland v Portsmouth team news: Will Grigg starts; former flop on bench for Pompey

Grigg, who notched an important goal in the semi-final against Bristol Rovers, had been struggling with an ankle injury which saw him cut short his international stay with Northern Ireland.

However, the £4million frontman will lead the line for Sunderland today, while Lewis Morgan has been preferred over Lynden Gooch on the right flank.

Jack Baldwin and Tom Flanagan get the nod in the centre of defence ahead of Jimmy Dunne, while Reece James returns from injury to start at left back. The injured Adam Matthews misses out on the squad.

George Honeyman returns from suspension to skipper the team, with Max Power and Dylan McGeouch among the substitutes.

Portsmouth have been given an injury boost of their own, with influential winger Ronan Curtis fit to start after a serious finger injury, while Pompey have ex-Sunderland flop James Vaughan on the bench.

Sunderland: McLaughlin; O'Nien, Flanagan, Baldwin, James; Leadbitter, Cattermole, Honeyman; Morgan, McGeady, Grigg. Subs: Ruiter, McGeouch, Wyke, Hume, Gooch, Power, Dunne

Portsmouth: MacGillivray, Thompson, Burgess, Clarke, Brown, Naylor, Close, Lowe, Pitman, Curtis, Boyle. Subs: Bass, Walkes, Haunstrup, May, Evans, Hawkins, Vaughan.