Ellis Simms returned to light training today - but he is not expected to return to Sunderland's Championship campaign for another couple of weeks. Sunderland take on Wigan Athletic at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, looking for their first win in five games.
On-loan Everton striker Simms limped off with a toe injury at Reading last month, joining thigh injury victim Ross Stewart in the treatment room and leaving the Black Cats with no fit centre-forward. Simms was found to have ligament damage to his big toe which has kept him out of the last four games, but he is edging closer to a return,
"Things have changed a little bit," said boss Tony Mowbray. "Ellis is getting his boots on for the first time today.
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"He'll be out there on the grass for the first time [since his injury]. He's been on the altered-G treadmills which takes your bodyweight out of it and gets you running.
"He felt fine so he's getting his boots on and coming outside today, which is a positive sign. If he comes through the next few days, he won't be too far away hopefully."
But while Mowbray said Simms won't be too far away, that is relative - he still expects it to be another couple of weeks before he is ready to resume playing, assuming everything goes smoothly. Mowbray said: "First and foremost he has to come out of today pain-free and happy in his mind that he can put his boots on again tomorrow.
"The basic scenario is that he needs to be able to get around the pitch, jog alright, and he feels OK. He'll gradually build the intensity up.
"It'll be a week of steady [progress] and then a bit more, a bit more, and if he's still on the grass then we can get the ball involved, probably without competition. Then he'd be able to join in with the warm-ups with the team, do some possession work and keep-balls.
"Everything has to go smoothly and I would suggest it will take a minimum of a few weeks."
While both Simms and Stewart have been out, after an initial burst, Sunderland have struggled to score goals. They won 3-0 at Reading, with all three goals coming after Simms had gone off, and then fought out a 2-2 draw at Watford.
But following the international break they then drew successive blanks in goalless draws at home against Preston North End and Blackpool, before Jack Clarke scored a consolation goal in last weekend's 2-1 defeat at Swansea City.
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