“Colin is a very good player and is comfortable playing in a number of positions,” he said. “He’s been excellent before for me in the right-back position.

“He can play in the middle of midfield, on the right side of midfield and at full-back. He’s played there before for Ireland.

“If you asked him, he’d probably say he prefers it in the middle, but playing at right-back is a damn site better than sitting on his backside on the bench.”

The Black Cats head for the Britannia Stadium having erased all memories of their disappointing start to the campaign with four successive victories and supremely confident of extending that run.

However, McCarthy has warned his players that they can take nothing for granted against a side which launched its season in fine style before faltering slightly.

“Tony Pulis and his players will want to give us a slap in the face,” he told the club’s official website, www.safc.com. “We’re flying high, have come down from the Premiership and are there to be shot at. He will use those things in his team talk.

“We’re a big club in this league and people are waiting for us to slip up. When we’re doing well it is expected, when we’re not, we’re there to be shot at.”

Striker Marcus Stewart, who has scored in each of his last four games, has shaken off the knock he picked up in the 2-1 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday and will again partner Kevin Kyle in attack.

Skipper Jason McAteer will be missing with a recurrence of his hamstring injury and Paul Thirlwell will once again take over the armband, while Stephen Wright and Matt Piper are also on the casualty list.

The uncertainty over Williams means that youngsters Chris Black and Craig James have been added to the squad.