Sunderland could dip into the market to react to the injury sustained by centre-forward Ross Stewart against Fulham in the FA Cup on Saturday.

The Black Cats marksman was stretchered off in the first half and Tony Mowbray has since revealed that the Scotland international is facing the possibility of being out of action for a "long, long, time."

This injury blow could force Kristjaan Speakman and the Sunderland boss back into the market for another centre-forward, despite signing Joe Gelhardt on loan from Leeds United last week.

One player who could come in to replace the Scottish finisher is Everton centre-forward Ellis Simms, who the club have been monitoring since he was recalled from his loan spell on Wearside at the start of the month.

Speaking about a potential return for the striker on Saturday, Mowbray said:

"Ellis Simms, if he comes back will be huge for this football club, because he gives us a focal point at the front end of the pitch. He scored some massively important goals before he was recalled to Everton.

"There’s a few days to go. I’m assuming Sean (Dyche) is now in with his feet under the desk. Whether they make a quick decision on Ellis Simms, I don’t know. Whether they bring another striker in and Ellis is allowed to come back, it would be pretty appropriate for our team to give us a focal point and score goals."

The key point to note from that is the head coach's comment about the goals that the Toffees marksman has already scored for the Black Cats this season.

Simms has already played in Mowbray's Sunderland team and knows the vast majority of the players in the squad, outside of the new recruits this month, which could make him the perfect signing to replace Stewart.

In the first half of the season, the 22-year-old attacker struck seven goals and two assists in 14 Championship starts for the club - averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.03, which places him as the team's fourth-best performer based on Sofascore ratings.

Journalist Josh Bunting hailed him as "pivotal" to the way that Sunderland play as the gem provides the "perfect platform" for the rest of the attack to work from, whilst his statistics in the second division show that the dynamo also brings quality in the final third.

Simms is a proven performer at Championship level, and in this Black Cats squad, and that is why he would be the perfect man to come in to replace the injured Stewart for the rest of the season - if the Scottish forward is out for a 'long time' - as he knows the division and could compete with Gelhardt for a place in the starting XI.