Joe Ellis

Tue 6 December 2022 15:10, UK

Sunderland could have talismanic striker Ross Stewart available for selection again when they take on West Brom on Monday evening (12 December.)

The Black Cats have already returned to Championship football having eased past Millwall 3-0 at the Stadium of Light on Saturday (3 December) and the Baggies will be keen to put up more of a fight.

Tony Mowbray confirmed that Stewart would be back in the fold for the visit of Carlos Corberan’s Albion as would Dan Ballard who has also been out injured in recent weeks.

Sunderland still have to wait on Bailey Wright and Jewison Bennette who are at the World Cup and Paris Saint-Germain loanee Edouard Michut is also ruled out of the game.

“It’s just dragging on a bit longer than we thought it would,” Mowbray said about Michut, as quoted by Shields Gazzette. “He is very talented and a different type of midfielder, he can carry the ball and has a wonderful range of passing.”

Battle

Corberan’s West Brom side will be heading back to the Midlands empty-handed if they do not find a way to cope with Stewart on Monday night, especially with Everton loanee Ellis Simms fit and among the goals too.

The duo had drummed up a quick partnership on Wearside before they both suffered injury setbacks and the Black Cats will be keen to see them reunite up front.

The Sunderland team is one littered with quality but above all, they scrap and fight for every second ball and can quickly force teams into submission with the sheer relentlessness of their work ethic.

Albion have had plenty of time to put plans into action on the training field during this month-long break but now is the real test as they attempt to make them work on the big stage.

Anything less than perfect could cause real problems for Corberan but Sunderland are there for the taking if he gets it spot on.

In other West Brom news, One Baggies loanee was held in very high regard by his teammate live on Sky Sports after what he did at the weekend.