Tuesday was supposed to be the night Sunderland’s fringe players gave manager Jack Ross something to think about ahead of the televised game against Portsmouth. It was another example of how the trip to Accrington Stanley was mission accomplished.

The Black Cats are yet to find the right formula in League One this season. Consecutive 1-1s have not been disastrous, but it was not the way they hoped to start a season which was supposed to be about turning draws into victories.

Thirteen players were used across the two games, both of which Sunderland started with a back three, went behind, changed shape and equalised.

At Accrington in the League Cup Alim Ozturk made his first start this season and Charlie Wyke, Lee Burge, captain Grant Leadbitter and Max Power played their first football of any description. The Wearsiders won 3-1.

Now, with a big game at home to Portsmouth on Saturday, Ross must decide what changes he should make on the back of that win for a match against the opponents they were most closely matched to last term.

THE FORMATION

Looks a fairly straight-forward one, at least in terms of the defensive set-up.

The back three system Ross trialed throughout pre-season had its merits on paper, but it just was not having the desired effect on the field. Switching to 4-4-2 and winning at the Crown Ground looked like the last nail in the coffin – at least for now – of that shape.

LEFT-BACK

How diplomatic was the “slight groin strain” Denver Hume picked up, ruling him out of the third match of the season after disappointing performances in the first two?

If the 23-year-old is fit for selection, Ross has a difficult decision on his hands.

Should he persevere with a player who has struggled in the opening weeks or take him out of the firing line for a bit? Either could threaten his confidence.

It would be much easier if Ross had another specialist left-back to call on but all he has is right-back Conor McLaughlin or central defender Tom Flanagan, who were not much more convincing than Hume in their more familiar positions against Oxford United and Ipswich Town.

Signing the left-back Sunderland are scouring the transfer market for in time to face Pompey would solve the conundrum – provided he arrived match-fit.

CENTRAL DEFENCE

With McLaughlin switched to full-back each time Ross swapped to a back four, Flanagan and Jordan Willis are effectively the men in possession in the centre of defence.

Ozturk came into the side against Accrington and although there were still the old failings – he conceded a dangerous free-kick early in the second half for shirt-pulling – he was a far more calming presence than the error-prone Flanagan had been.

The question is, were Flanagan’s mistakes triggered by his uncertainty at playing on the left of a back three and/or the problems Hume was having outside of him? As he was an unused substitute at Accrington, it is hard to tell.

CENTRAL MIDFIELD

The fit-again Power was Sunderland’s best player on Tuesday, controlling the midfield and supplying the pass for Marc McNulty’s opening goal. On that evidence you would say he ought to be inked in for Saturday.

The question is how.

Dylan McGeouch linked well with George Dobson against Oxford at the Stadium of Light and although he was fairly anonymous at Portman Road, his partner was the best of Sunderland’s bad bunch.

Although it was not set in stone, McGeouch was the holder, Dobson the link man – the role Power played alongside Leadbitter in the League Cup. Power and Dobson are more than versatile enough to do either role but sitting might take something from their games. It would mean ditching the talented McGeouch after one bad game, denying Sunderland the composure on the ball that is particularly important at the Stadium of Light, but it may have to be that way.

FORWARD POSITIONS

Probably where it gets most complicated.

Wyke and Aiden McGeady came off the bench and scored but before that there had been good fluidity and invention between Lynden Gooch, Marc McNulty, Will Grigg and Chris Maguire.

Grigg again failed to score and looks desperately short of confidence but did lay the ball off for McNulty’s goal and along with Wyke, who is probably not yet fit enough to start, he is the most natural attacking focal point.

McGeady looked the part in his 21-minute cameo, and should have had an assist too only for McNulty to hammer his shot against the crossbar. Even after a summer of changes, get it to Aiden and hope he does something still feels like Sunderland’s best approach to scoring.

Ross rushed McGeady into the starting line-up at Ipswich and was made to rue it, so it would be understandable if he was hesitant to do so again, but can the Black Cats do without him?

After his excellent midweek goalscoring performance, McNulty is a certainty to start, and Gooch scored in the league games. Maguire and McGeady could get the other spots, which might lend the team to more of a 4-2-3-1 shape than 4-4-2.

And then there is always Elliot Embleton, already starting to look like a forgotten man three matches into the season. Like Hume, he is too talented not to come again.