Plymouth boss delivers Sunderland verdict and makes Leeds United admission after FA Cup exit

Plymouth boss Ian Foster says he picked a team for Tuesday's match against Leeds with this weekend's game against Sunderland in mind.

Argyle were beaten 4-1 after extra-time in midweek, with Williams only naming six substitutes due to players being unavailable. Left-back Lino Sousa as well as midfielders Adam Forshaw, Alfie Devine and Darko Gyabi were all ineligible to play in the FA Cup fixture against Leeds, while Mickel Miller and Julio Pleguezuelo were absent due to personal reasons.

All six are expected to be available for Saturday's match against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, yet striker Mustapha Bundu (calf) and midfielder Jordan Houghton (ankle) are set to miss the trip to Wearside.

"We picked the team with this game in mind first and foremost," said Williams when asked about the Leeds match and upcoming fixture against Sunderland. "That's based on how we think we can win the game and who is physically and mentally at their optimum to play. We assessed the squad in its entirety and we'll make sure we're all guns blazing at three o'clock on Saturday.

"That's part of a collective job between the technical team, the medical team, to make sure the players are good to go. All six will be back and up for selection and we'll just assess how many of those six start the game."

Plymouth are set to fly to Wearside for Saturday's match and have climbed to 15th in the Championship table, after taking seven points from three league games since Forster's appointment in January.

When asked about Sunderland, the Plymouth boss said: "I turned my attention to them in the very early hours of Wednesday morning when you can't sleep after a long game. We are really appreciative of the threat they pose.

"They have got some wonderful attacking players. Whoever they use personnel wise right across the front line, they pose enormous threats, and they have got players all over the pitch who can handle the ball under pressure so we know it's going to be a challenging day for us but it's one we embrace and one we look forward to."