Sunderland team news for Leeds United clash and Daniel Farke assessment as new manager search goes on

Sunderland interim boss Mike Dodds should have the same squad available to him as that which beat West Brom on Saturday when the Black Cats welcome Leeds United to the Stadium of Light.

Dodds, who is standing in on the sidelines while the search goes on to replace Tony Mowbray, led the team to an impressive win at the weekend against the in-form Baggies and helped end a three-match winless streak, thanks to goals from Dan Ballard and Daniel Neill.

An even bigger test faces Dodds on Tuesday night as a Leeds team unbeaten in their last seven matches, head to the North East. The former Birmingham City acdemy manager will at least take heart from the fact that he has no fresh injury concerns for the match against Daniel Farke's men.

"The challenge you always have is that you plan for Tuesday but of course you have to wait for happens on Saturday, how everyone is on Sunday morning... that's always the challenge you have when you a process that you want to work to," he told Sunderland Echo.

"The other challenge is how much you want to change and freshen up because it was a really, really good performance. Any decisions I do make, whether it's to bring anyone else in or not, you have to take that human element into consideration. Quite rightly so, they'll be thinking 'why?' So I always speak to the group and the individuals so they at least understand why.

"The preparation has gone as we would have hoped, there's no new injuries and everyone is fully fit and able to start. The decision is how much we want to tinker or change."

Speaking about the prospect of taking on Farke for the first time, Dodds added: "I've never come up against Daniel Farke but his reputation speaks for itself. You look at the way his team plays, you can see they're a good, good team and really well coached."

Sunderland continue their search for a new boss and in the meantime, as all interim coaches state, it's a game of cracking on with the job at hand until told otherwise.

"It's business as usual, I want to give you something else but that's what it is," Dodds said. "I've not had any conversations with the hierarchy about it. There was a well done after the game and a few handshakes and we'll fill you in when we have some more information."

"It was always the plan prior to West Brom, that we'd map the next three or four games out, even the Coventry game beyond that," he added. "There's already preparations gone on for Bristol City behind the scenes. We have to focus tomorrow night but when they come back in on Thursday that two-day lead-in will all be organised."