The new mindset in the Sunderland camp as they look to extend their winning run at Crewe Alexandra

The Black Cats have won their last three League One outings and are unbeaten in four in all competitions, with that run having lifted the side back into promotion contention.

But McLaughlin, who has been a key part of the side who have strung together the positive series of results, insists the side won’t be getting carried away and are instead solely focused on the task ahead.

And that task will no doubt be a stern one. Crewe currently sit 11th in the third tier and have caught the eye with their attractive brand of football since sealing promotion from League Two last season.

That - coupled with the notorious slope on the Gresty Road pitch – means Sunderland are in for a tricky afternoon.

"We just have to focus on each game now,” said McLaughlin.

"Maybe in the past the club has been looking at it thinking with the size of the club we should be beating most teams in this league, but now the process is that we need to take each game as it comes.

"There's a lot of difficult games for different reasons in this league, we've found that out in the past. Crewe on Saturday is going to be difficult and we just need to concentrate on ourselves really.

“It's a tough place to go.

"There's a massive slope on their pitch, two big strikers up front and they try and play good football as well.

"It'll be a tough game for a lot of reasons.

The Black Cats could welcome back midfielder Josh Scowen for the game, after he sat out the midweek win over Fleetwood Town with a knock

Bailey Wright, Denver Hume, Jordan Willis and Arbenit Xhemajli remain longer-term absentees, but Tom Flanagan is nearing a return to action – although the visit to Crewe will likely come too soon for him.

"Tom Flanagan is probably a week away," head coach Lee Johnson said.

"Josh Scowen wasn't involved on Tuesday due to a slight niggle, it's just a tightness in the hamstring rather than a tear. He could return for the game against Crewe."

Another player set to miss the game is January signing Ross Stewart.

The striker, who joined for a six-figure sum from Ross County, is yet to make his debut for the Black Cats after a setback on his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Stewart is now back on the grass and pushing towards a return – but Johnson isn’t going to rush his return given Sunderland’s sparkling form in front of goal this calendar year.

"Ross Stewart was on the grass today," Johnson said on Wednesday

"He was probably knocked back about two weeks in his rehab but while the team are doing well and we're scoring goals, he can progress at the rate required to come back fully fit and with no problems."