Team News: Luis Suarez makes Premier League return at Sunderland

Liverpool forward Luis Suarez has been handed his first Premier League start in five months in this afternoon's trip to Sunderland.

The Uruguayan has not been involved in a league match since scoring a last-minute equaliser in the Reds' 2-2 draw with Chelsea in April.

That is because he was banned for 10 games after the FA reviewed footage of the match at Anfield and saw that Suarez had bitten Branislav Ivanovic prior to scoring his late leveller.

Suarez made his first-team return as Liverpool lost 1-0 at Manchester United in the Capital One Cup on Wednesday.

Despite the defeat, manager Brendan Rodgers was impressed with his side's performance and has named an unchanged starting XI at the Stadium of Light. That means that goalkeeper Simon Mignolet faces his old club.

Meanwhile, Sunderland caretaker-manager Kevin Ball also names an unchanged lineup following the Black Cats' 2-0 win over Peterborough United on Tuesday.

Sunderland: Westwood, Gardner, Colback, O'Shea, Cuellar, Larsson, Ki, Cattermole, Johnson, Giaccherini, Altidore Subs: Wickham, Celustka, Ba, Mannone, Ji, Roberge, Mavrias

Liverpool: Mignolet, Toure, Sakho, Skrtel, Enrique, Henderson, Lucas, Gerrard, Moses, Suarez, Sturridge Subs: Jones, Agger, Aspas, Ilori, Sterling, Ibe, Wisdom