Ellis Simms is expected to be in Sunderland's squad for this weekend's trip to Luton Town, Tony Mowbray has confirmed. And Patrick Roberts could also travel for the game after recovering from the minor hamstring issue that kept him out against Burnley last Saturday.
On-loan Everton striker Simms resumed full training this week after almost six weeks on the sidelines with a toe injury. With leading scorer Ross Stewart also absent through injury, Simms' problem left Sunderland to battle through the last seven games without a central striker.
He will not start at Kenilworth Road, but even seeing him back in action from the bench will be a welcome boost. Asked whether Simms would be involved this weekend, Mowbray said: "I hope so. He's trained all week.
READ MORE: Sunderland's Trai Hume determined to stake his claim for a starting place in Lynden Gooch's absence
"I think he still has a slight awareness of it [the injury] so I have to get the balance right, not throw him in straightaway but manage him back. There are four games between now and the World Cup break, so we'll build him up really - 20-30 minutes, maybe half a game, maybe 60 minutes, maybe 90 minutes.
"Ellis is the most important thing, we don't want to put him at risk and send him out there straightaway and get 90 minutes of football out of him. It's great that he is back training with the team and if there's no reaction - and I'm sure there won't be, because he didn't say anything after training today - there's no reason why he can't travel with us tomorrow."
Simms will need to be eased back into action, and Mowbray added: "I've tried not to moan too much about the strikers, but it's a fact we have been without them so having a central striker back who can threaten the space behind the lines will be good for the team. That's without putting the burden on him of saying 'right, now you're fit we expect loads of goals'.
"We're not expecting miracles from him straightaway. He has to get himself back up to speed."
Roberts was a surprise omission against Burnley, with Mowbray saying after the game that he had picked up a knock in training. Today he said: "Patrick trained today and if he has no reaction he will travel with us tomorrow.
"You have to be careful with hamstring injuries, so we'll see how he is. It was never a proper injury, it was a fatigue thing really. We all decided it was too much of a risk for him to play in the last game. We'll see. He might make the bench at the weekend, he might start, but we'll have to wait and see.
"I have to be mindful that there are a lot of games coming up in a short space of time and we need him for the majority of those games."
But one player who will not be part of the squad this weekend in Lynden Gooch, who suffered a foot injury in Sunderland's win against Wigan a fortnight ago and has since suffered a setback in his recovery. He is now expected to be out until after the World Cup break, meaning he will not feature again until the Championship season resumes in early December.
Mowbray said: "I don't think we'll be seeing Goochy for a while, maybe two or three weeks which takes him past the World Cup break. He'll be another one that I think will get his boots back on and be away during that break."
READ NEXT:
- Inside Sunderland's open training as fans welcome star back from injury, but others remain out
- Sunderland's Aji Alese has spoken for the first time about the tackle that has halted his season
- Burnley issue apology after young Sunderland supporter was hit by a missile at Stadium of Light
- Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray gives his view after his first proper look at Trai Hume
- Tony Mowbray's Sunderland progress report after he marks his tenth game in charge
