Barnsley vs Sunderland preview
Monday 11 March 2019 14:43, UK
Barnsley will once again be without suspended duo Jacob Brown and Cameron McGeehan for Tuesday night's League One promotion showdown with Sunderland.
Both men will serve the second instalments of three-match bans with striker Brown having been sent off at Southend on March 2 and midfielder McGeehan found guilty on video evidence of violent conduct during the same game.
Manager Daniel Stendel otherwise has no fresh injury concerns as he prepares for a potentially pivotal clash between the sides currently sitting in second and third places respectively in the table. However, he is still coming to terms with the loss of striker Kieffer Moore for the rest of the season because of a head injury.
Sunderland will be without skipper George Honeyman through concussion as he awaits the outcome of an appeal against the red card he received at Wycombe on Saturday. The midfielder, who had earlier been substituted, was dismissed along with Chairboys striker Nathan Tyson following a touchline melee and is facing a three-match ban.
Striker Duncan Watmore, whose stoppage-time strike at Adams Park secured a 1-1 draw, is out with an ankle injury suffered in a challenge by Marcus Bean, who received the game's third red card as a result. Defender Tom Flanagan will also miss the game with concussion, while full-back Reece James is a doubt and midfielder Chris Maguire continues his recovery from a fractured fibula.
Opta stats
Barnsley and Sunderland have not played out a draw in a league meeting since November 1985, with the Tykes winning 10 and losing 14 of the last 24 meetings.
Sunderland are looking to complete the league double over Barnsley for the first time since the 2006-07 Championship campaign.
Barnsley are unbeaten in their last 16 league games (W11 D5), last going longer without a loss in January 1981 (20 matches).
Sunderland have won 10 of their last 12 Tuesday fixtures in all competitions (D1 L1).
Sunderland's Will Grigg has scored in three of his four league appearances against Barnsley (three goals), only failing with Wigan at Oakwell in December 2015.
