Tony Mowbray is hopeful that Lynden Gooch will be fit to return against Burnley this weekend after sitting out Sunderland's midweek defeat at Blackburn. Gooch went off at half-time in last Saturday's home win against Wigan after suffering a foot injury.
He missed the trip to Ewood Park on Tuesday and has yet to resume training, but Mowbray says Gooch is set to join in with the group again tomorrow and if he comes through that without any discomfort then he should be ready to line up against Burnley on Wearside. "I think Lynden has got a chance," said Mowbray.
"The hope is that he puts his boots on tomorrow and comes out to train. I think if Lynden has half-a-chance of playing, he will want to play.
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"I'm hopeful, but as I sit here now he hasn't trained today. He's probably still aware of his injury but it is improving every day and we'll see how he is on the grass tomorrow, and hopefully he will be available for the weekend."
With Sunderland picking up another defensive injury at Blackburn as Aji Alese limped off in the second half, Mowbray will have to make at least one change to his back line this weekend. Luke O'Nien took over at right-back when Gooch went off against Wigan and kept his place against Blackburn, but in the absence of Alese he may now move back to central defence to partner Danny Batth.
Mowbray's favoured option would then be for Gooch, if fit, to return at right-back, although if Gooch is not ready to start against Burnley the head coach would turn to Trai Hume instead. Hume had not featured at all since Mowbray took over, but came off the bench for the final 15 minutes at Blackburn.
Mowbray said: "Trai has just come out of my office - he just knocked on the door! I've told him that my door is always open, that's what I'm here for, to listen to them, to tell them my thoughts, to give them some logic.
"I thought he did alright [at Blackburn], because we were chasing the game when he came on. He wasn't told to play right-back and stay right-back, he was basically giving Patrick some space by driving inside and narow their back line, so he was playing more like a number eight than a full-back.
"He applied himself well. I've watched him in training, but the negative for him is that I haven't really seen him play right-back in a back four.
"I like Trai's personality, I like what he brings. I've just said to him there, that if Gooch is fit then with total respect to him, Gooch will probably get the nod ahead of him. But if Gooch isn't fit, Trai has every chance of playing. Let's wait and see how training goes tomorrow."
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