Sunderland: Simms could replace Stewart

Sunderland might dip into the market to react to the damage sustained by centre-forward Ross Stewart in opposition to Fulham within the FA Cup on Saturday.

The Black Cats marksman was stretchered off within the first half and Tony Mowbray has since revealed that the Scotland worldwide is dealing with the opportunity of being out of motion for a “lengthy, lengthy, time.”

Do Sunderland want one other striker?

This damage blow might drive Kristjaan Speakman and the Sunderland boss again into the marketplace for one other centre-forward, regardless of signing Joe Gelhardt on mortgage from Leeds United final week.

One participant who might are available in to switch the Scottish finisher is Everton centre-forward Ellis Simms, who the membership have been monitoring since he was recalled from his mortgage spell on Wearside at first of the month.

Talking a few potential return for the striker on Saturday, Mowbray said:

“Ellis Simms, if he comes again will probably be large for this soccer membership, as a result of he offers us a focus on the entrance finish of the pitch. He scored some massively vital objectives earlier than he was recalled to Everton.

“There’s just a few days to go. I’m assuming Sean (Dyche) is now in together with his ft beneath the desk. Whether or not they make a fast choice on Ellis Simms, I don’t know. Whether or not they deliver one other striker in and Ellis is allowed to return again, it will be fairly acceptable for our staff to offer us a focus and rating objectives.”

The important thing level to notice from that’s the head coach’s remark in regards to the objectives that the Toffees marksman has already scored for the Black Cats this season.

Simms has already performed in Mowbray’s Sunderland staff and is aware of the overwhelming majority of the gamers within the squad, outdoors of the brand new recruits this month, which might make him the right signing to switch Stewart.

Within the first half of the season, the 22-year-old attacker struck seven objectives and two assists in 14 Championship begins for the membership – averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.03, which locations him because the staff’s fourth-best performer based mostly on Sofascore scores.

Journalist Josh Bunting hailed him as “pivotal” to the way in which that Sunderland play because the gem supplies the “perfect platform” for the remainder of the assault to work from, while his statistics within the second division present that the dynamo additionally brings high quality within the remaining third.

Simms is a confirmed performer at Championship degree, and on this Black Cats squad, and that’s the reason he could be the right man to return in to switch the injured Stewart for the remainder of the season – if the Scottish ahead is out for a ‘very long time’ – as he is aware of the division and will compete with Gelhardt for a spot within the beginning XI.