Tony Mowbray says Ellis Simms will not yet be ready to return to action as Sunderland prepare to face Preston North End on Saturday.
The striker is currently sidelined with a toe injury, which Mowbray reveals may have to be checked over by the medical staff at parent club Everton before a return to the field.
“We hoped he might be okay after this international break, but I did say before that it depends on a few things,”
“He won’t be available yet. It’s his toe – he’s had x-rays and scans, and Everton may now want to scan him.
“Our first diagnosis is that he may have had some ligament damage on his big toe, a difficult and painful area. But Everton will decide what to do in terms of a further scan or x-ray as, ultimately, he’s their player.”