Tony Mowbray makes just one change for the trip to Craven Cottage, as the Black Cats look to book their place in the fifth round of the Emirates FA Cup.
Edouard Michut replaces Corry Evans following the injury he picked up last against Middlesbrough.
New signing Pierre Ekwah is named among the substitutes alongside Niall Huggins and 15-year-old, Chris Rigg.
The match comes to soon for Isaac Lihadji while Joe Gelhardt is cup-tied and therefore misses out having already represented Leeds United in the competition this season
Lynden Gooch, Dennis Cirkin and Alex Pritchard continue to recover from their respective injuries. Luke O’Nien remains suspended.
Patrick Roberts starts against his former club; the winger came through the Fulham youth ranks and went on to make 22 appearances for the first team.
Sunderland XI: Patterson, Hume, Ballard, Batth,©, Alese, Roberts, Neil, Michut, Clarke, Amad, Stewart.
Substitutes: Huggins, Ba, Bennette, Rigg, Kelly, Johnson, Watson, Bass, Ekwah.
Fulham XI: Rodak, Tete, Tosin, Diop, Kurzawa, Cairney ©, Palhinha, Andreas, Wilson, Vinicius, Solomon.
Substitutes: Leno, Ream, Duffy, Reed, De Cordova-Reid, James, Willian, Harris, Mitrovic.