Nathan Broadhead made his first start since the end of September as one of six changes to the side that lost in the league at Sheffield Wednesday in midweek.
Lee Johnson shook things up for Sunderland's FA Cup first round tie again Mansfield, and Broadhead's return - following his brief outing as a sub at Hillsborough - saw him take the place of Ross Stewart.
Elsewhere, Lee Burge replaced Thorben Hoffmann in goal, and in defence Frederik Alves and Bailey Wright replaced Carl Winchester and Callum Doyle.
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Further forward, Leon Dajaku and Elliot Embleton were restored to the side with Luke O'Nien and Lynden Gooch making way.
The changes allowed Johnson to revert to his favoured 4-2-3-1 system, with Alves playing at right-back.
Aiden McGeady was available again after serving a one-match suspension but he was not included in the squad.
Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough made two changes to the side that started his team's 2-0 win against Tranmere last weekend.
George Lapslie and John-Joe O'Toole came into the side in place of Farrend Rawson and Danny Johnson.
You can follow the game as it happens in our live match blog here.
Today's teams
Sunderland: Burge, Alves, Wright, Flanagan, Cirkin, Evans, Neil, Dajaku, O'Brien, Embleton, Broadhead
Subs: Hoffmann, Doyle, Gooch, O'Nien, Winchester, Taylor, Pritchard, Younger, Harris
Mansfield Town: Bishop, Hewitt, O'Toole, Hawkins, McLaughlin, Charsley, O Clarke, Maris, Quinn, Lapslie, Oates
Subs: Shelvey, Bowery, Johnson, Burke, Sinclair, Wark, J Clarke, Forrester, Law
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