Tony Mowbray has explained Ross Stewart's absence against Millwall - and says the striker could be eased back into action in a friendly next week. In the build-up to the Black Cats' home game against the Lions Mowbray had said he was weighing up whether to include Stewart on the bench, after Scotland international returned to full training last week having recovered from the thigh injury that has kept him out since the end of August.
However, when the teamsheet appeared there was no sign of Stewart and Mowbray said afterwards that he decided to adopt a cautious approach rather than take any risks with his star striker. But he did reveal that Sunderland have arranged a behind-closed-doors game against Middlesbrough on Wednesday and there is a chance that Stewart could figure in that, with a view to him being available for Sunderland's next Championship game at home to West Bromwich Albion a week on Monday.
"What matters is that my relationship with Ross and my relationship with the medical department where trust is a factor," said Mowbray. "The medical department felt it was a dangerous thing, so if I had been sitting here and Ross had started or come off the bench and then had to go off because he was limping, people would be saying that I'd got it wrong and shouldn't have risked it.
