Sunderland midfielder Alex Pritchard will be unlikely to play from the start against Fulham, Tony Mowbray has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Repeated injuries

Pritchard was initially ruled out with a calf injury in mid-December, and he returned to the match-day squad for the 4-1 win against Wigan Athletic at the end of the month, with Mowbray bringing him on in the second half.

That decision backfired, however, with the midfielder having to be withdrawn minutes later, and he was not included in the squad for the next three Championship matches, before returning off the bench against Millwall last time out.

The Latest: Update from Mowbray

The playmaker made an immediate impact on his return, weighing in with an assist in the 1-1 draw, but the Sunderland boss has indicated that tonight's game will be too soon for him to start, saying:

"I'm not sure Pritch is ready to be thrown in and play as a false nine or No.10,"

"We have to look at the players we've got. Whether we play Amad a bit higher up the pitch...we'll see. I don't want to sit here and tell Fulham what our team is going to be. We'll have a team that hopefully is very competitive and the fans who come to watch will see a Sunderland team fighting for every ball."

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The Verdict: Caution needed

Given what happened last time the 29-year-old was rushed back, it is wise for Mowbray to be more cautious this time around, especially considering how vital a player he has been for Sunderland this season.

Hailed as 'dynamite' by journalist Josh Bunting, the Englishman is ranked by Sofascore as the Black Cats' joint-second best performing player in the Championship, averaging a match rating of 7.03, after picking up two goals and four assists in the second tier.

Furthermore, while progression in the FA Cup is always the aim, it will not be Sunderland's main focus this season, with promotion still a real possibility, currently two points off the top six, and Pritchard should be rested until Saturday's home game against Reading.