Journalist James Copley has insisted on The Roar podcast that Sunderland’s Ross Stewart will still be out for a while longer.
Sunderland have been rocked by several injuries to key first-team players this season with the likes of Stewart, Ellis Simms and Denis Cirkin all having required time on the sidelines and the former two are still unavailable for selection.
Stewart’s injury is perhaps the most damning blow given he was the club’s top scorer this season and had managed to net five in seven appearances before picking up a muscle injury in the warm-up against Middlesbrough.
Copley was unable to prove any positive news on Stewart’s injury either with no return seemingly imminent.
He said: “If or when [Ellis] Simms does come back he’s likely going to come back by himself because Ross Stewart is going to be out for a little longer.”
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TIF Thoughts on Stewart’s injury…
In what was only Tony Mowbray’s second game as Sunderland manager and also a Tees-Wear derby, he was rocked by the news of his talisman picking up an injury and even the recent lull in club football seemingly hasn’t been enough to get him back up to full fitness.
Sunderland have lost just three times in the league all season and just once under Mowbray, but if they are to keep up that good run of form, they will undoubtedly need Stewart back and firing in the goals.
As things stand, Sunderland are going to have to play without a natural centre forward vs Preston on Saturday with both Simms and Stewart still out injured, which is far from ideal for Mowbray as he sets to pick up three points against a team that have just one win under their belt this campaign.