Sunderland will be aiming to extend their winning run in the Championship to three matches as they host Bristol City at the Stadium of Light today.

Tony Mowbray's side have won their last two games in the division without conceding a single goal, and they sit fifth in the table as it stands.

Patrick Roberts' late goal secured a 1-0 win over Reading before Luke O'Nien and Jack Clarke (x2) found the net at Queens Park Rangers to seal a 3-0 win at Loftus Road in the club's last outing in midweek.

Ahead of today's clash against the Robins, the Sunderland head coach revealed why Amad Diallo was left out of the starting XI in their last match.

Mowbray said: "[Resting Amad] was important. He is not a robot. He needs to re-energise mentally as well as physically.

"It looks to me as though he is a pretty robust footballer - he's played just about every minute up until the last week or so, when we brought him off [against Reading] and left him out [against QPR]."

Will Amad Diallo start against Bristol City?

Mowbray must unleash the on-loan Manchester United forward from the start today after resting him for the win over QPR, as the gem has the quality to be a match-winner at any given moment for the Black Cats and could form an exciting partnership alongside Joe Gelhardt.

Since arriving at the Stadium of Light last summer, the Ivorian has showcased his ability in the final third on a regular basis and got supporters off their seats in excitement more than once.

These statistics from Sofascore illustrate the impact that Diallo has had on the team this season and show that the magician, who Luke Shaw once hailed as "wonderful", has the end product to punish opposition defences at this level.

The 20-year-old, who scored 13 goals and provided 15 assists in 46 games for Atalanta's U19 side, has racked up 55 goals and 32 assists in 153 matches at youth and senior level combined and has proven throughout his short career to date that he has the ability to make things happen on a regular basis.

Gelhardt, who is yet to score since joining on loan from Leeds United, could benefit from starting alongside the fellow 20-year-old, as his form for the Whites at youth level indicates that he has the potential to be a prolific scorer.

The England under-21 international plundered 20 goals and six assists in 31 U21 appearances for his parent club, whilst also managing two goals and four assists in 732 minutes of Premier League action last season.

This suggests that the Englishman could thrive for Sunderland if provided with the right service, and Diallo could be the man to get the best out of his team-mate, which is why they should be unleashed alongside each other this afternoon.