Sunderland have been hit with a huge injury setback over centre-forward Nathan Broadhead...

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Black Cats manager Alex Neil has hinted at a worrying blow for the on-loan Welshman, who limped off in the win against Morecambe on Saturday.

The 40-year-old has claimed that Ross Stewart is currently the only number nine who is fit and available in the squad ahead of Sunderland's big play-off clash with Sheffield Wednesday later this week.

The Examiner quote him as saying: “The worry we've got now is we've finished the game with no centre forward on the pitch, I brought Stewart off because I knew the scores elsewhere. He's literally [our only striker].. I don't need to say anything else do I?”

Supporters will be raging

The prospect of Broadhead being unavailable for the first leg against Wednesday will surely leave Sunderland fans raging, as it would be a major blow for the Wearsider's promotion prospects.

He has been phenomenal for the Black Cats since joining on loan from Everton, proving himself to be a reliable goalscorer at this level. The 24-year-old netted the winner against Morecambe to seal a play-off spot and that was his 10th League One goal of the season, on just his 15th start.

His recent form for the club has been sensational, with 11 goals in his last 14 outings in all competitions. This shows that he has been red-hot in front of goal and that is why the fans, and indeed Neil, will be desperate for the 20-year-old to be fit for the play-offs.

Sunderland are set to battle for a place in the Championship and they will need their best players to be fit and available for selection to give themselves the best chance of reaching the second tier. Broadhead's goalcoring record suggests that he is one of the club's top talents, as he has the quality to be a game-changer at the top end of the pitch with his finishing ability.

Therefore, supporters will be raging with Neil's claim that Stewart is the only fit striker in the squad ahead of their clash with Darren Moore's team on Friday night. Hopefully it turns out to be merely a minor issue for the Everton loanee and he is able to feature but, for now, Sunderland fans will likely be very worried about his condition.

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