Tony Mowbray gives Ellis Simms fitness update as Sunderland striker woes continue

Ellis Simms is still at least two weeks away from making his Sunderland return according to Tony Mowbray, who has promised ‘caution’ with the striker.

Simms injured his toe in the 3-0 win over Reading last month, although he was expected to be back in contention quickly.

The injury has proven to be far more problematic than first thought, though, which is a tough pill to swallow with Sunderland’s only other striker, Ross Stewart, also sidelined.

“Ellis’ situation won’t be changing over the next week or two, I don’t think,” Mowbray briefed reporters ahead of the Championship game against Blackpool.

“I’m hoping I’ll surprise you all in two or three weeks by saying Ellis is back training and you might see him on the bench, but at the moment, that’s not the case.

“We have to be cautious with him. If you picture the injury, it’s his big toe, it’s a ligament and it needs some time to settle down. I don’t think it’s a case of ‘strap it up, lock the bottom half of his foot solid, and just put it in a boot’.

“If it was a cup final, the last day of the season, and we needed to win, we’d probably play him. But that’s not the case. Give him the time he needs, a couple of weeks, and hopefully we’ll have some news.”