Promising Tottenham striker Kazaiah Sterling is struggling with his fitness while on loan at Sunderland as manager Jack Ross reveals he looks set to be left out of the squad.
The 20-year-old hot prospect joined the Black Cats in a late loan deal during the January transfer window but has failed to pick up much game time at the north east outfit, with just one appearance of 31 minutes in his first four games at the club.
Lifting the lid over why he has not seen more action at the Stadium of Light, Ross revealed he was struggling with injury problems and that he looks set to remain out of the side.
He told the Shields Gazette: Kaz was unfit. We thought he would be OK but he had to pull out (v Accrington Stanley) quite late on.
He’s trained but obviously it’s been a little bit stop-start for him with a couple of knocks. At the moment, we can only select 16 outfield players so with us pretty much at full health, there’s always going to be four or five who miss out.
“At one stage we were probably having to push some of the boys (who weren’t fully fit) but now we can be a bit more measured in that respect.”
Opinion
Not the sort of start Sterling would have wanted to his loan career at the League One side but at the same time he has got the rest of the season to fight his way back into the first team setup. He was moved out of Tottenham in a bid to get him a taste of regular senior action to aid his development but it will not come to him served on a silver platter and he will have to work hard to force his way into Ross’ plans. Injuries do not help his cause one bit but this is part and parcel of being a footballer and he has to show the resilience and commitment to coming back if he is to make a career for himself. It will be disappointing for Sterling, Sunderland and Spurs that he is not playing at the expected level right now but at the end of the day he is only 20-years-old and should come good if he gets his head down and works hard.