“He’s got great work ethic and he can get crosses in and maybe hasn’t got total belief that he should be in the team, he maybe thinks he’s a squad player.

“But he’s forced the issue and I put him in against United and he did really well. The stats show he was the top player with high intensity, speed and endurance so he’s got everything there but sometimes he need a bit of belief and a run in the team would help.

“Carlos does some great things in training and then he maybe slackens off a little. He did really well last weekend and what he did well and what Kenwyne (Jones) feeds on is crosses.

“I think with Carlos, the thing is he gets behind defences and that makes even better for Kenwyne and maybe we haven’t had that. We’ve been narrow as a team without a lot of width ad that’s had an affect on us. If we can get the supply to Kenwyne he can’t moan about it. Now he’s getting it and we have to do that again on Saturday.”

While Sunderland will look to Edwards for inspiration and Cissé and Jones for the goals, Sbragia also sees Tainio as a crucial player. Consistent to a fault, the only thing that has kept the Finland international out of the team is a series of injuries – the latest of which was to his knee.

An injection under his left knee-cap helped salvage his season and now Sbragia is looking to him to provide a cool head in the heat of a relegation battle.

“He gives us a level head and a bit more Premier League experience in the big games – he’s cool and collected and he gets people to work.

“He smells danger and when he plays he does well and he gives us that protection. I always saw him as a sitter but when you speak to him he likes to play the right of a three and get forward.”