This article is part of Football League World's 'The Verdict' series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Sunderland are back in League One action tonight looking to build on the three points picked up in the 2-1 win over Portsmouth at the weekend, when the Black Cats make the trip to the Spotland Stadium to play a Rochdale side who are unbeaten this season, having picked up five points from a possible nine.

Black Cats manager Jack Ross will have to plan for tonight without striker Marc McNulty who picked up a hamstring injury at the weekend against Pompey, and is unavailable, as confirmed on the club website.

So how big a blow to Sunderland will the loss of McNulty be?

We discuss........

Toby Wilding

"It is definitely a blow for Sunderland.

"McNulty has settled in well at the club and is already starting to cause trouble for opposition defences, so Jack Ross will not have wanted to have lost that threat for the trip to Spotland.

"With the likes of Will Grigg and Charlie Wyke struggling for goals during their time with Sunderland, there may also be some concern about who is going to lead the line in the absence of McNulty on Tuesday night.

"Even so, given this injury doesn't look to be quite as long term as it could have been, this is perhaps less of a blow for Sunderland than it initially looked to be."

Gary Hutchinson

“I think this is a huge blow; he’s been great so far this season despite not having a glut of goals to his name.

“What I would say is that it gives Will Grigg or Charlie Wyke and chance to prove their worth. I can see Wyke getting the nod, he’s looked livelier than Grigg and came on for McNulty at the weekend.

“It’s a nice position to be in though; if some clubs lost their main striker to injury this early, they’d be in real crisis. Sunderland can call on £5m worth of talent.

“Highlights the difference between the haves and have nots in League One.”

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Kealan Hughes

“This is a problem they could really do without, as he was just beginning to get used to their style of playing and the team was starting to play well with him as the focal point.

“They will hope it isn’t a long-term issue and it looks like he should make a fairly quick recovery, and with games coming in quick concession a rest will allow him to re-energise and come back stronger.

“It also gives Will Grigg another opportunity to show why The Black Cats were determined to bring him in last January. He hasn’t got firing as yet but he will score goals in League one if given the service, so this is an ideal chance for him to get up and running.

“Sunderland have been similar to last season in that they haven’t been free-flowing and have found goals difficult to come by at times so not having McNulty is a worry, but the return of McGeady to the team served Sunderland very well against Portsmouth and he could be the difference against Rochdale too.”