A big injury update has emerged on Sunderland striker Ellis Simms ahead of the club's clash with Luton in the Championship...

What's the latest?

The on-loan Everton centre-forward was back out on the pitch with the team for the open training session at the Stadium of Light, according to the Sunderland Echo.

It is claimed that the attacker was spotted with his teammates as he steps up his recovery from an injury that has kept him out of action since the 3-0 win over Reading early on in Tony Mowbray's reign.

The Black Cats boss recently claimed that Simms would be available to face Luton at the weekend if he could train this week and this latest update suggests that he is on track to do just that.

Mowbray also refused to rule out the possibility of the forward starting the game, saying: "We've spoken a lot with Ellis and player welfare will always be at the forefront. We need him back but the right thing to do is to go through with the processes. If he gets through a full week of training then he could be ready to make the bench or even a start knowing that he won't then complete 90 minutes."

Delight for the gaffer

Sunderland's head coach should be delighted by this latest development as it suggests that Simms is on course to be available to return to action at the weekend.

The Black Cats have lost three of their last four Championship matches and have failed to score in three of the seven games since the striker suffered an injury against Reading.

Simms' return could be a big boost for the club as he was one of the top performers prior to his knock. Only Ross Stewart (7.66) has averaged a higher SofaScore rating than the Englishman (7.08), whilst Aji Alese and Alex Pritchard are the only other players with a higher rating than 6.98.

He has scored three goals and created two big chances for his teammates in eight Championship appearances for Sunderland and this shows that he has the quality to make a big impact in the final third.

The gem has shown that he can score goals and create opportunities for others at this level, which is why his return could be a significant boost to Mowbray's side as they have struggled in front of goal since his injury. Failing to score in three of their last seven matches is far from ideal and Simms coming back could improve their chances of scoring.

Therefore, the manager should be delighted by the striker's return to fitness and will be hoping that he is fit enough to start on Saturday.