A Sunderland training ground development has emerged, regarding versatile gem Luke O'Nien...

What's the latest?

The Chronicle Live have reported that the midfielder is back out on the field on Wednesday as he looks to complete his comeback from an injury.

O'Nien has been out of action since November due to a shoulder problem and he is now easing his way back to full fitness.

Buzzing

Sunderland fans will be buzzing with this news as the return of O'Nien could be a big boost to manager Lee Johnson for the second half of the season.

The Black Cats are working hard to battle their way out of League One and having as many of their players fit and available as possible could help them to achieve their goal. The midfielder is a proven performer at this level as he has previously shown that he can consistently deliver quality displays in a number of positions, which is why this update could delight fans and Johnson.

Wigan and Wycombe are the two teams above Sunderland in the table as it stands, with the latter sitting top and one point above them and the former having a whopping four games in-hand but currently level on points. This shows how tight it is at the top of the table and why every little advantage the Black Cats can accrue could be crucial in the coming months.

Only Ross Stewart and Tom Flanagan have averaged higher SofaScore ratings than O'Nien in League One this season and this illustrates his importance to the team as he has been one of their top performers this term. He has averaged a score of 7.11 across 16 appearances, playing in a plethora of roles throughout the XI - highlighting the versatility he brings as he can play at centre-back, right-back, right midfield, central midfield and in a holding position.

The ex-Wycombe man has won an impressive 65% of his duels and made 3.3 tackles and interceptions per game in the third tier. Fans will surely be delighted to see his tough-tackling midfield performances again in the coming weeks and this is why they will be buzzing with the news that he is back in training and working to shake off his shoulder injury.

AND in other news, Johnson must secure SAFC deal for £3.1k-p/w gem who has "all the raw tools to succeed"...