Sunderland defender Reece James has picked up an injury which will keep him sidelined this weekend.
James picked up a groin injury last Sunday, when Sunderland took on Portsmouth in the Checkatrade Trophy at Wembley.
The full-back missed out on playing for the Black Cats yesterday evening, when they beat Accrington Stanley 3-0.
And Ross admits that further tests will need to be done before the severity of James’ condition is known.
“Reece has a groin problem and he is another one we are just assessing at the moment.” Ross said.
“He won’t be available on Saturday.
“Sometimes it’s not clear exactly what the problem is so it is best we get to the bottom of it and try to find what it is, then we can work out whether it is something we can manage until the end of the season or not.”
If James is out for the remainder of the season it will be a blow, although the impact is softened somewhat due to Ross’ other options.
Sunderland still have Denver Hume and Bryan Oviedo competing for a spot at left-back.
The Black Cats are currently in third place in the League One table, with their next match coming against Rochdale.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
