Both sides make two changes for today's game.

The headline for Sunderland is that Amad Diallo is back into the starting XI, having come off the bench in his past two appearances. Edouard Michut is also on from the beginning for the hosts.

Meanwhile, Hull boss Liam Rosenior brings in Ozan Tufan and Dimitrios Pelkas.

Sunderland XI: Patterson, Hume, Batth, O'Nien, Gooch, Neil, Michut, Roberts, Amad, Clarke, Gilhardt.

Hull City XI: Darlow, Coyle, Greaves, A Jones, Tufan, Allahyar, McLoughlin, Traore, Pelkas, Seri, Slater.

And so to the Stadium of Light we turn out attention to now.

Oh, and it's a big one for the hosts.

A win for the Black Cats against 17th-placed Hull City would keep the fire of play-off hope burning bright.

Hull City have not had a ton of joy against Sunderland over the years, failing to win in their past eight league meetings.

The race against relegation in the Championship has taken more turns today.

Huddersfield have surged up to 20th courtesy of holding out for a win away at Watford. What a job Neil Warnock has done there.

Meanwhile, Rotherham move further from the drop zone after defeating West Brom and Cardiff gain a bit of space on the bottom three having beaten beleaguered Blackpool.

QPR's loss to Preston ensures they remain deep in a relegation battle while Reading are down into the bottom three after a six point deduction in midweek and a home draw against Birmingham.

Image source, BBC Sport

Here's how things look at the top of the Championship headed into tonight's late kick-offs.

Luton are up to third but Sheffield United are surely headed to the Premier League now they have an eight-point cushion on the Hatters with a game in hand.

Norwich have chopped down Blackburn's buffer while Preston prosper after beating QPR and are just two points off the play-off places.

Burnley can ensure promotion back to the top flight at the first time of asking if they beat Middlesbrough this evening.

Image source, BBC Sport

• League leaders Leyton Orient beat Salford City 2-0 on Richie Wellens' return to the Peninsula Stadium to go 11 points clear of the play-offs.
• Second-placed Northampton are defeated by Newport while Carlisle beat Tranmere 2-0.
• In the play-off places, Stevenage are held to a draw by Colchester as Stockport hold on to beat Sutton United 1-0
• Bradford play out goalless stalemate with strugglers Crawley while Mansfield thrash Swindon 4-2
• Barrow's play-off push suffers a blow with 3-0 loss away at Crewe
• At the bottom, Rochdale thump Walsall 4-2 to keep up survival bid while Hartlepool also put four past Grimsby as race to avoid the drop hots up.
• Eight points separate the bottom five with six games remaining after Harrogate battle back from 2-0 down on 88 minutes to draw 2-2 against AFC Wimbledon

Image source, Rex Features

• A topsy-turvy day at the top of the table sees Plymouth lead the League One table after they were forced to come from behind to beat strugglers Morecambe
• Sheffield Wednesday had started the day top but were held to a 1-1 draw with out-of-form Oxford, while Ipswich had also led the third tier as they comfortably beat Wycombe 4-0
• Barnsley suffer a 2-1 defeat by Burton in a blow to their automatic promotion hopes while Exeter are defeated by play-off chasing Bolton
• Portsmouth are held to 1-1 draw with MK Dons having been reduced to 10 men; Derby win 2-0 away at Forest Green; Peterborough win 3-0 away at Shrewsbury
• At the bottom, Accrington win 3-0 against Port Vale in massive boost to survival hopes, while Cambridge defeat Fleetwood

Image source, PA Media

• Second-placed Sheffield United open up an eight-point gap to the play-off places after Iliman Ndiaye's early goal sees them beat rock-bottom Wigan.
• Norwich go a point off the play-off places after a 2-0 victory at sixth-placed Blackburn Rovers.
• Struggling QPR suffer a ninth defeat in 10 games as Preston bolster their play-off bid with a 2-0 triumph, and Rangers are now just a point above the drop zone.
• Huddersfield move out of the bottom three thanks to a 3-2 win at Watford, which secures a third straight win for Neil Warnock's Terriers.
• Cardiff and Rotherham both win 3-1 to lift them up the table, with Reading slipping into the relegation places despite a 1-1 draw against Birmingham.
• Burnley will be promoted if they beat Middlesbrough in the late kick-off after Luton drew at fellow play-off challengers Millwall at lunchtime.

Just joining us?

Here's what's happened on another breathless afternoon in the EFL

After an eventful eight minutes of stoppage-time, Huddersfield have secured a third straight win and are out of the bottom three.

Watford have now won just twice in 13 league matches, a run which is beginning to put a big dent in their play-off chances.

They ended the match with 10 men and Hamza Choudhury between the sticks after Daniel Bachmann's stoppage-time red card.

What a result for the Terriers.

Just 30 seconds after being shown a yellow card, the Watford goalkeeper is given his marching orders.

Points shared as Lukas Jutkiewicz's powerful header cancelled out Andy Carroll's opener for Reading.

It's seven games without a win for the Royals, although they have drawn their past three.

But, after a six-point deduction in midweek, Paul Ince's men are set to drop into the relegation zone with their rivals winning elsewhere.

Watford appeal in vain for a penalty as Ismaila Sarr goes down in the box.

It's siege time for Huddersfield.

A huge win for Cardiff and a damaging one for the hosts.

It was all wrapped up for Cardiff in a disastrous first half for the Tangerines.

Image source, Getty Images

Second-placed Sheffield United edge bottom side Wigan for a 1-0 win that moves them eight points clear of third spot.

Anis Mehmeti's late winner for Bristol City moves the visitors above Stoke City in their mid-table showdown.

Up to 13th the Robins go, while Stoke swap for 14th place.

Norwich close the gap to Blackburn Rovers in the play-off places to one point with this hugely important win.

Goals from Liam Gibbs and Gabriel Sara either side of half-time seals victory at Ewood Park for David Wagner's Canaries.

Preston continue their play-off bid as Tom Cannon's double gives them a fourth win in five games.

QPR are in deep trouble and the statistics make horrible reading for Hoops fans.

It's four straight losses and nine defeats in 10.

It's just one win in 16 Championship outings, and Rangers will be just a point above the bottom three unless Reading grab a late winner.

Gareth Ainsworth has lost six of his seven games since being appointed boss.

Both sides with big chances in the past few minutes.

Teemu Pukki promised to try to leave Norwich with a few more gifts before leaving at the end of the season, and it took a great recovering tackle from Hayden Carter to foil the striker as he was about to shoot.

At the other end Angus Gunn foils Ben Brereton Diaz and Sorba Thomas.

A stalemate in south Wales as Swansea make it three games without a defeat.

Coventry's play-off hopes are fading after one win in five outings.

The Sky Blues have not won a league game at Swansea since January 1950.