There is mixed news for Sunderland on the injury front, with Lewis Grabban ruled out while two key men return.
Sunderland are badly in need of a win at Hull City on Saturday, having lost their last four Championship matches.
And they could be boosted by the return of two key men for the trip to Humberside as they look to end the slump, even if there is mixed news on the injury front.
Aiden McGeady – an early star in Sunderland’s season – has not featured since the international break, while Lamine Kone also missed Tuesday’s defeat to Nottingham Forest.
But Simon Grayson – speaking at his pre-match news conference – has suggested that both players could be back in contention.
“We’re waiting on McGeady and Kone to see how they are [on Friday],” he said, as reported by the Northern Echo.
“They haven’t trained with us yet, but they have been out doing work with the physios so we’re waiting to see where we go with them.”
With a Tyias Browning error contributing to Forest’s victory and Sunderland lacking a forward threat, the return of a senior defender and a goalscoring winger could be huge for Grayson.
However, while McGeady and Callum McManaman would offer exciting options at wide, they need a centre forward to put away the chances they do create – and Sunderland are going to be without top-scorer Lewis Grabban.
“Lewis will miss the game through his hamstring,” Grayson said. “We’re just waiting for the scan to see the severity of it. The results are coming back this morning, but he’ll definitely miss the game.”
With James Vaughan the only remaining forward option – and still without a league goal in red and white – Sunderland fans could understandably be concerned about where the goals will come from at Hull.
Grabban’s absence could make McGeady’s role even more crucial, while new signings McManaman and Jonny Williams must contribute.
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