Although they didn't miss him at the weekend in their 3-0 thrashing of Millwall, Sunderland will be hugely boosted by the return of Ross Stewart against West Brom next Monday.
The Scotland international was expected to make his return from injury against the Lions last Saturday but was omitted from the squad, which sparked fears that he may have suffered a setback in his return to fitness.
However, Tony Mowbray has now provided an update on the talismanic striker ahead of next week's game against the Baggies, and it is potentially fantastic news for the Black Cats.
He said:
"At the end of the day what matters is my relationship with Ross and with the medical department, where trust is really important.
"The medical department thought it was dangerous to pick him. If he started or came off the bench and had to come off again, your questions would be about whether it was worth the risk we'd taken. I think he needs to have trained for a week - we've got a bounce game against Middlesbrough on Wednesday and we might give him some minutes in that.
"He was chomping at the bit and he thinks he's ready, so we hopefully by next Monday he will be ready."
The former Ross County striker had started the Championship campaign in hugely impressive form,
hitting five goals and three assists in just seven league appearances for Sunderland.
His 7.81 rating from
WhoScored comfortably ranks him as the top performer in Mowbray's side, while he is still the joint-top scorer with Ellis Simms, which emphasises just how big it is for Sunderland to have him back fit ahead of the busy Christmas period.
While he might not be risked from the start against the Baggies, it certainly seems as if he could be available for selection, and given their improved form under Carlos Corberan, it could be a game-changer for Mowbray next Monday.
Considering the "
incredible" striker - as dubbed by Kristjaan Speakman - has been
linked with a move away from the Stadium of Light recently, Sunderland will want to get him back firing in the hope that they can push up into the Championship playoff positions, in the hope that they could convince him to extend his stay with the club.
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Stewart has been a hugely influential player in Sunderland's squad ever since joining the club, so it is undoubtedly great news that he is set to return next week.
