Tony Mowbray remains hopeful that Ellis Simms will be back in contention ahead of this weekend's clash with Preston North End. The Sunderland boss knows that his squad needs more competition for places given the strain of the Championship season.
The Black Cats have picked up seven points from his first four games in charge and have continued their impressive start to the campaign, sitting in a play-off berth during the international break. However, such is the nature of English football's second tier, all that work can be undone in the blink of an eye.
Mowbray knows that he needs his full squad to maintain that impressive start. Speaking to safc.com he said: "I think also as I walk round the building sometimes - I look at Ballard and he's ducking under doors, he's a monster of a boy - we need to get our best players [back fit], we need to deepen the squad by Ross and Ellis getting fit."
