Two back but four out of Cats’ big night
CHARLIE Wyke and Alim Ozturk are set to return to the Sunderland squad for tonght’s promotion showdown at Barnsley - but the Black Cats will be without four key players at Oakwell.
Winger Duncan Watmore is undergoing a scan on the ankle injury which saw his afternoon cut short at Wycombe Wanderers at the weekend.
Stopper Tom Flanagan cannot play after sustaining concussion against the Chairboys, captain George Honeyman begins a threegame suspension following his red card - and would have missed this game in any case having also suffered concussion - while fullback Reece James also picked up an injury.
However, striker Wyke is back in contention after missing the weekend trip due to illness, while centre-back Ozturk has recovered from the groin problem which had kept him out of the last two games.
Manager Jack Ross said: “Charlie was not great on Friday morning so we could not afford to let him travel with the group in case he infected others.
“He was back in training yesterday, still not quite 100 percent, but he should be OK to travel with us.
“Alim is back on the pitch and he is fine because he only missed a two days’ training last week.”
Their return is a welcome boost for Sunderland, whose 1-1 draw at Wycombe came at a high cost.
A lunge at Watmore saw Marcus Bean sent off for a second bookable offence, although the challenge could easily have been deemed a straight red card.
Watmore - who had earlier scored Sunderland’s equaliser was in some pain and Ross is still waiting to find out the extent of the damage.
However, there is considerable relief the injury is not connected to the knee ligament problems which kept the winger out for the best part of two years.