Stewart injury is a big blow for Sunderland

Sunderland had been dealt a giant blow on Monday evening as Ross Stewart picked up an damage within the warm-up forward of their Championship recreation in opposition to Middlesbrough.

The Scottish ahead was in line to begin in opposition to Chris Wilder’s aspect however was pressured to overlook out after selecting up an damage, which was maybe a giant issue within the Black Cats’ poor efficiency as they fell to a 1-0 defeat on the Riverside Stadium.

Tony Mowbray supplied an replace on the talismanic ahead following the match, saying: “Ross did it capturing within the warm-up. He’s popped a muscle in his thigh. It appears a really remoted spot, however whether or not it’s a tear within the higher thigh the place he’s struck the ball, we’ll should see.

“It wants a scan. It’ll both come again grade one, grade two or grade three, which can imply he’s out for 2 weeks, 4 weeks or eight weeks. Let’s wait and see.”

Sunderland have loved quite a lot of success up to now this season enjoying Stewart alongside Ellis Simms up entrance as a duo.

The 2 strikers have contributed eight targets and three assists between them, with the previous ranked as their best-performing participant and the Everton loanee ranked third within the Black Cats’ squad (as per WhoScored).

Will Sunderland wrestle with out Stewart?

Subsequently, to lose the Scottish ahead simply days after the switch window shut is undoubtedly an enormous blow for Mowbray as he seems to be to proceed Sunderland’s spectacular begin to the brand new marketing campaign, which has seen them lose solely to Norwich Metropolis, Sheffield United and Middlesbrough, three groups who will all count on to be in and across the play-off positions on the finish of the season.

Stewart was very important to Sunderland’s promotion final time period, having fun with an “incredible” marketing campaign which noticed him hit 26 targets in League One, and his begin to 2022/23 promised a lot extra targets throughout the season, having already struck five times.

After the Black Cats’ disappointing show within the defeat at Middlesbrough on Monday evening, Mowbray should be fearful that Sunderland might wrestle in entrance of aim with out their star striker.

He shall be hoping that Stewart’s damage – which journalist Josh Bunting bemoaned as a “huge blow” to the staff previous to the ‘Boro recreation – will not be a extreme one.