Lee Johnson made seven changes to the side that started the weekend league defeat at home to Charlton Athletic.
However Sunderland still put out a strong side against QPR in the last 16 of the Carabao Cup.
The four retained from Saturday's side were right-back Carl Winchester, midfielders Luke O'Nien and Dan Neil, and Ross Stewart.
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But Lee Burge replaced Thorben Hoffmann in goal, while Bailey Wright and Frederik Alves played in central defence instead of Tom Flanagan and Callum Doyle, and Denver Hume came in for Dennis Cirkin at left-back.
Johnson brought Corry Evans in as an extra midfielder alongside O'Nien and Neil, in what looked to be a switch to a 4-3-3 formation, and he started with Lynden Gooch and Leon Dajaku out wide.
Alex Pritchard, Aiden O'Brien, and Aiden McGeady made way.
All seven players who dropped out of the starting XI were included on the bench, along with youngsters Will Harris and Stephen Wearne.
QPR boss Mark Warburton also made changes, in his case six to the side that started the weekend Championship defeat at Peterborough United.
In came Osman Kakay, Jordy de Wijs, Luke Amos, Chris Willock, Andre Gray, and Moses Odubajo.
They took the place of Stefan Johansen, Charlie Austin, Dominic Ball, Albert Adomah, Sam McCallum, and one-time Sunderland loanee Jimmy Dunne.
You can follow today's game as it happens in our matchday live blog here.
Tonight's teams
Sunderland: Burge, Winchester, Wright, Alves, Hume, O'Nien, Evans, Neil, Gooch, Stewart, Dajaku
Subs: Hoffmann, Flanagan, Doyle, O'Brien, Cirkin, Pritchard, McGeady, Harris, Wearne
QPR: Dieng, Kakay, Dickie, de Wijs, Barbet, Odubajo, Amos, Willock, Chair, Dykes, Gray
Subs: Archer, Drewe, Dunne, Adomah, Ball, Dozzell, Austin, Duke-McKenna, Johansen
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