Sunderland will welcome Celtic loanee Lewis Morgan back this weekend.
Sunderland boss Jack Ross has told The Chronicle that Lewis Morgan missed the defeat at Southend United on the final day of the season due to a concussion.
The Black Cats were hoping to push for automatic promotion when they took Morgan on loan from Celtic in January, but their campaign really fell apart.
Defeat at relegation-threatened Southend on Saturday means it’s now just one win in the last seven games for Sunderland, and three defeats in the last six.
Sunderland went from hoping to finish second to finishing fifth, meaning they are now heading into the play-offs, and will take on Portsmouth in a two-legged semi-final.
Charlton Athletic or Doncaster Rovers will reach the final too, and whilst Sunderland’s hopes of promotion are far from over, their recent form is a huge concern.
Their hopes of a win on Saturday were damaged by attacking midfielder Morgan not even being in the squad, leaving fans to wonder where the Celtic loanee was.
Ross confirmed that Morgan suffered a concussion in training, meaning Sunderland had to meet the protocol for head injuries and keep him out of action.
“Lewis suffered concussion in training otherwise he would have been involved, but he will be back training in the next couple of days once protocol is followed,” said Ross.
That means that Morgan should be back to face Portsmouth at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, and his creativity will be key to Sunderland’s hopes of going up.
The 22-year-old has grabbed one goal and four assists in 17 appearances for Sunderland, and the Black Cats will be hoping that his return will be the boost they need against Pompey.
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