Ross Stewart could be involved in Sunderland's weekend game at Hull City - with Tony Mowbray hoping the striker will be ready to make his long-awaited comeback. Stewart has been out of action since the end of August due to a thigh injury but recently returned to training, although he was left out of the squad for Monday's home defeat against West Brom as a precaution after he felt some discomfort following a practice game last week.
But the Scotland international has trained today and, provided there he feels fine tomorrow, he will travel with the squad to Hull for Saturday's game. "You get wary of saying what's going to happen because I said yes last week [when asked if Stewart would be involved against West Brom] when I was asked about Ross on the back of him having played for 60 minutes [in the practice game]," said Mowbray.
"But he's had a full training session today. It was quite an intense training session in the snow. Fingers crossed there’s no reaction tomorrow, and then he will hopefully travel with us. Let's see if we can get him included.
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"I did say that last week, and I understand there was a frustration that he wasn't on the squad list for the midweek game, but fingers crossed there's no reaction after training today and then he trains tomorrow and gets on the coach with us."
After scoring 26 goals to power Sunderland to promotion last season, Stewart hit five goals in his first seven Championship games before picking up the injury. That goalscoring form - and the fact that he is in contract negotiations with the club that have not yet been resolved - has inevitably led to reports linking clubs with a move for the 26-year-old, but Mowbray believes Stewart is fully-focused on getting fit to rejoin the Black Cats' campaign.
Mowbray said: "It's no surprise if Ross is getting linked with other teams. He's a good player – I know his data is still right up there at the top end of the division for strikers.
"I see a lad who wants to train, wants to work and wants to help our team. I see him grafting away at what he does, and when I watch the training, I see a really good player who links the play really well as well as getting on the end of things that come into the box.
"We're just looking forward to having him back in the fold really and for him to help us win some football matches. All the [transfer] noise going around him, I can't really affect that.
"I just try to keep the relationship strong so he knows how important he is to our team and club. It's not my role to put a gun to his head and say, 'you have to sign this contract'.
"The bottom line is that himself, his agent and the club will be in discussions about those things, and fingers crossed we get to a conclusion where he signs and stays here because he sees this as an amazing vehicle to progress his career in the right direction and help this club prosper at the same time."
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