Sunderland will be aiming to send out a real signal of intent to the rest of League One tomorrow when they face Accrington Stanley at the Stadium of Light.

Although his side are currently top of the third-tier standings, Lee Johnson will know that the Black Cats cannot afford to underestimate their opponents this weekend.

If Accrington secure all three points on their travels, they will move above Sunderland in League One.

In what turned out to be a busy transfer deadline day for the Black Cats, Johnson managed to bolster his squad by securing the services of Thorben Hoffmann and Leon Dajaku.

Whilst Hoffmann was drafted in from Bayern Munich, Dajaku joined the club on a temporary basis from fellow German side Union Berlin.

Both of these players will be determined to deliver the goods in League One for Sunderland following their loan moves.

In order for Hoffmann to make a real impact for the Black Cats, he will need to overtake the likes of Lee Burge and Anthony Patterson in the pecking order at the club.

Meanwhile, Dajaku will need to fend off competition from Ross Stewart and Nathan Broadhead in order to emerge as Sunderland's first-choice forward.

Ahead of Saturday's showdown with Accrington, an update has emerged regarding the availability of Dajaku and Hoffmann.

Making reference to this particular duo, Johnson has confirmed that both players could be in line to feature for Sunderland.

Speaking to the Sunderland Echo about Dajaku and Hoffmann, the Black Cats boss said: "Both of the new signings, we're taking a long term view but they are available [for the Accrington game].

The Verdict

Although it may take some time for Dajaku and Hoffmann to adapt to life in League One due to the fact that they have never played in this division before, they will both fancy their chances of delivering the goods for Sunderland.

Whilst Stewart has made an impressive start to the season by scoring four goals in five games, he may be forced to take his game to new heights following the arrival of Dajaku.

If these two players are able to find the back of the net on a regular basis in the coming months, they could potentially spearhead a push for automatic promotion.

Meanwhile, Hoffmann could also emerge as a key player for Sunderland by making the goalkeeping position his own.