Ross Stewart could miss the start of Sunderland’s second season in the Championship.
Speaking at the Foundation of Light on Thursday, Kristjaan Speakman revealed that the striker will miss a majority of pre-season training and is unlikely to be fit for their opener against Ipswich Town.
Stewart earned an impressive tally of 10 goals in 13 matches before he suffered a season-ending injury in January.
“Ross won’t be (ready) at the front end of the pre-season period,” the Sporting Director said.
“It’s more likely to be in the middle or towards the end.
“I wouldn’t want to give out false information to anyone, and we’ll have to see (how he progresses), but that means we would doubt whether he will be ready to start the season.”
The Black Cats were left to rely on Joe Gelhardt up front after Ellis Simms’ loan spell was cut short.
Sunderland will be hoping to head into the new season with more options after confirming the arrival of Luis Semedo, however Stewart will be a huge loss.
The Scotland international has been the subject of plenty of praise since becoming the club’s first choice striker, with Kevin Phillips complimenting his work rate after their League One play-off win over Sheffield Wednesday.
He said: “You’ve got a player up front that works his socks off, can finish all types and never gives up, it’s a great lesson for any young striker.”
Will Sunderland struggle without Ross Stewart?
It is unclear how long Ross Stewart will be sidelined for once the new season kicks off, however it could make a huge difference to how they start under Tony Mowbray.
The Black Cats’ opener against Ipswich will already be a very hard first clash, while they could struggle against the likes of Coventry City and Southampton without their star man.
However, they exceeded expectations in the second half of the previous campaign and, if they can bring in a back-up striker, then their talent elsewhere will be enough.
Semedo is looking like an exciting signing for Sunderland’s future, though they will need to bring in a proven goalscorer to avoid any Déjà vu.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
