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Tony Mowbray says he has no intention of ‘chucking in’ academy striker Max Thompson in an attempt to solve Sunderland’s goal shortage.

Sunderland have made a very promising start to life back in the Championship, although their efforts have been undermined by injuries to Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms.

Neither will be available for the trip to Swansea this weekend, and that has seen some wondering whether 20-year-old Thompson may get a chance. Thompson has impressed for the under-21s this season and was even given some minutes in the Premier League by former club Burnley.

Asked about the possibility of Max Thompson stepping up into the Sunderland first-team picture, Mowbray said: "He has trained with us on a few occasions, I'm just a bit wary of the critical nature of the position and exposing a player to it. I know that he has played in the Premier League with Burnley but right now does look a little bit young and raw to me.

"The Championship can be quite a brutal division and I wouldn't want to put him into the team at the wrong time, I'd rather put him into a team that is flourishing and scoring, and a time when I know all about the team and so I'm not gambling on putting someone in who I don't know enough about.

“He's done well in the training but I'm a strong believer that the position is about movement and understanding where the space on the pitch is.

"I believe strikers are all about positional play, knowing where to go on the pitch and knowing the capabilities of players on the ball and what type of pass they are going to play. When I watch him in training, I think he needs to learn these things, he's almost a bit too honest at the moment in his movements.

"The great strikers find space in the box and young players need to learn that, and that's where Max is at the moment.

(Video: Max Thompson hat-trick for the Sunderland under-21s against Derby)

Sunderland have found goals tough to come by at home since losing Stewart and Simms to injury, although they have found it easier away from home.

Elliot Embleton has been used as a false nine on occasion, and Amad Diallo made his debut in attack against Blackpool. Mowbray, though, says they have also been exploring the possibility of Leon Dajaku getting a chance in the position, so Thompson is still a long way down the pecking order at the club.

“We've been looking at Amad and Leon as the striking options at the moment, with Max we'll see how we go,” Mowbray explained.

"I don't think in my mind there's a need at this moment, but of course that could change further down the line if we're still struggling [to score]. Let's just see how we go, I'm just really wary of almost selfishly chucking a young player in, he's got a full career ahead of him, 18/20 years potentially. He has time.

"I understand that he's played in the Premier League so he's got something, but at the moment I just feel he's learning and acclimatising maybe. I've seen a young lad working really hard, trying to run the channels and trying to get on the end of things, and at this moment I don't think it's the right thing for us to do just to chuck him in."

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