Tony Mowbray hopes Ross Stewart will be back in 'days rather than weeks' after leaving him out of Sunderland's defeat against West Bromwich Albion as a precaution. Stewart had been expected to make his long-awaited return from the thigh injury that had kept him out since the end of August, albeit Mowbray had suggested he would only be included on the bench against the Baggies, but he was left off the teamsheet.
Afterwards, Mowbray revealed the Scotland international had felt some minor discomfort after playing 60 minutes of a behind-closed-doors friendly against Middlesbrough at Rockliffe Park on Wednesday, and he had decided to take no chances with his star striker. "If he's not ready in his mind, he's not fit, he's not ready, and we have to deal with that," said Mowbray.
"We have dealt with it for the last three and a bit months, so I don't think we should be gambling with Ross Stewart if he is feeling some discomfort in the area where he has been injured. He played 60 minutes in midweek in a bounce game and he just felt a little bit delicate, I think, after that - he felt nothing during it.
