As expected, Lee Johnson made a raft of changes to the side that drew against Hull City in the league at the weekend, with only four players retained from that line-up.
Max Power, Bailey Wright, Callum McFadzean, and Josh Scowen were the men who kept their places.
But Remi Matthews replaced Lee Burge – who suffered a facial injury against Hull – in goal, with Jordan Willis returning from illness to take the place of on-loan Wolves defender Dion Sanderson, who is cup-tied.
Max Power dropped back from midfield to right-back in place of Conor McLaughlin, who went off injured against the Tigers.
Elliot Embleton and Dan Neil came into midfield in place of Grant Leadbitter, who was on the bench, and to fill the gap left by Power.
There was also an entirely new front three, with Chris Maguire, Lynden Gooch, and Aiden O’Brien replacing Jack Diamond, Aiden McGeady, and Charlie Wyke.
Wyke was included on the bench with Danny Graham not part of the matchday squad, presumably due to injury.
Port Vale’s interim boss Danny Pugh also made seven changes, in his case to the side that beat Grimsby Town at the weekend.
In came Dino Visser, Leon Legge, Adam Crookes, Danny Whitehead, Scott Burgess, David Amoo, and Theo Robinson, with Scott Brown, Shaun Brisley, Luke Joyce, David Worrall, Cristian Montano, Tom Pope, and Devante Rodney, making way.
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Tonight's teams
Sunderland: Matthews, Power, Willis, Wright, McFadzean, Embleton, Scowen, Neil, Maguire, O'Brien, Gooch.
Subs: Patterson, Dobson, Wyke, Diamond, Leadbitter, McGeady, Younger.
Port Vale: Visser, Mills, Legge, Smith, Crookes, Whitehead Burgess, Conlon, Hurst, Amoo, Robinson.
Subs: Pope, Montano Cullen, Brisley, Taylor, Fitzpatrick, Brown.
Referee: Declan Bourne (Nottinghamshire)
