Ellis Simms still not ready to start games, Sunderland boss warns

Sunderland fans should not expect to see Ellis Simms starting games until after the World Cup, Tony Mowbray has warned.

Both Simms and fellow striker Ross Stewart have been missing through injury for weeks, with Sunderland frustratingly sliding down the Championship table in their absence.

The on-loan Everton man did return from the bench in the 1-1 draw at Luton to raise hopes Sunderland’s days of going into games without any strikers may now be at an end, but it seems they are not.

Speaking about Simms’ potential involvement at Huddersfield on Wednesday, Mowbray said. "He might get 10 minutes more [than at Luton].

"The game will dictate, of course, but it's good to give him game time, to get him on the pitch, to get his boots on and make him feel more confident in himself.

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"I know he looks a huge man on the pitch, but he is a young boy, so it is a case of him having the confidence that the injury is going to be fine. He needs to work hard and get his general fitness up to a level where he can start thinking about starting a game.

"It'll be after the World Cup break that you see him play 90 minutes, in my mind. But he has three games now where he can build up his game time and hopefully score a goal, then go into that break ready and raring to go come December 3rd."

Simms certainly played his part in the draw at Luton. Sunderland were a goal down when he came on, and he was a key factor in the Black Cats being able to haul themselves level.

"He gave us a platform to play off,” Mowbray explained. “It's difficult, as we've found for the last half-a-dozen games or so, when you have to build because you haven't got someone who gives you the ability to be more direct.

"When you haven't got a target to play off and teams are playing a really high press against you, it's tough. You need a target to play off, and Ellis allowed us to release the pressure.

"We can still start by building and if they commit lots of men forward then you play off the front in to Ellis, and the midfielders can run off him."

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