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.
READ MORE: Tony Mowbray admits Sunderland's win against Millwall felt less comfortable than scoreline suggested
"Ross can train for a whole week, he's got nine days now before the West Brom game and he will have plenty of training. We've got a bounce game in midweek against Middlesbrough and we'll debate whether to give him some of that, because he was champing at the bit after two days' training.
"So we might play him on Wednesday for 20 minutes or half-an-hour if we think he is ready, and then hopefully by a week on Monday [against West Brom] he will be ready."
In the end, Sunderland did not need Stewart against Millwall as they earned a 3-0 win which lifted the Black Cats to tenth place in the table, a point outside the play-off places. Goals from Amad, Alex Pritchard and Ellis Simms gave them all three points against the Lions.
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