Sunderland midfielder George Honeyman has made 20 appearances for Jack Ross’ sides so far this season.
Honeyman has been struggling with a bad ankle for some time, yet he has played regularly for Sunderland.
The youngster has been a key part of Ross’ midfield at the Stadium of Light.
And Ross admits that Honeyman is being given a well earned rest by Sunderland now.
“He’s got an ongoing ankle injury,” Ross said. “He suffered it against Barnsley and it’s been really troublesome for him. To his credit, he’s probably played at times when he shouldn’t have done because he’s so determined.
“Leaving him out on Boxing Day was a sore one for him because you can imagine how much he wanted to play but we need to look after him properly and he needs to look after himself properly.
“It’s difficult to predict at the moment but we’ll see how the injury reacts over the coming days.”
Honeyman has scored two goals and claimed three assists in the league for Sunderland this season.
The 24-year-old appears to be one of the Black Cats’ most important players, as they aim to win promotion from League One.
In his absence on Boxing Day, Sunderland still managed to win against Bradford City.
Ross’s side picked up a 1-0 victory, with Aiden McGeady scoring the only goal of the game.
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