2 Sunderland selection dilemmas that Lee Johnson is facing ahead of Lincoln City clash | OneFootball

Sunderland will be looking to extend their unbeaten run in League One to 11 games this evening when they host Lincoln City at the Stadium of Light.

The Black Cats missed out on the opportunity to climb above Rotherham United in the third-tier standings last weekend as they were held to a 3-3 draw by Wycombe Wanderers.

Set to face a Lincoln outfit who have only won one of their last five league games, Sunderland will unquestionably fancy their chances of sealing all three points in this fixture.

Having witnessed his side’s display against Wycombe, it will be interesting to see whether Johnson decides to make some alterations to his starting eleven tonight.

Here, we have decided to take a look at TWO Sunderland selection dilemmas that Johnson is facing ahead of the club’s meeting with Lincoln…

Should Jack Diamond be handed a chance to impress in this fixture?

Due to a Covid-19 outbreak at Sunderland, Jack Diamond was recalled by the club from his loan spell at Harrogate Town for their meeting with Wycombe on Saturday.

After making a cameo appearance in this particular fixture for the Black Cats, the winger will be determined to showcase his talent again this evening.

When you consider that Corry Evans was knocked unconscious in Saturday’s draw with the Chairboys, he is not expected to feature tonight and thus Elliot Embleton may be asked to fill the void left by the 31-year-old in the heart of midfield.

This will leave a space on the left-hand side of the pitch which could potentially be filled by Diamond.

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Will Aiden O’Brien make his return to action against the Imps?

Whereas the likes of Thorben Hoffmann, Leon Dajaku and Lee Burge are all set to miss today’s showdown with Lincoln after recently testing positive for Covid-19, Aiden O’Brien has now recovered from the virus and thus could be in line to make his return to action at the Stadium of Light.

The 28-year-old has failed to deliver the goods on a consistent basis in the third-tier this season as he has only scored once in 14 league appearances for the Black Cats.

When you consider that O’Brien’s contract at Sunderland is set to expire in the summer, he will need to step up his performance levels in order to earn a new deal at the club.

If Johnson decides to turn to O’Brien for inspiration tonight, the winger could potentially put himself in contention for a regular spot in the club’s starting eleven by producing a positive performance against Lincoln.