Sunderland AFC news: What Tony Mowbray said about Nasiriy Rusyn, transfers and Coventry City fixture

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Tony Mowbray’s pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s match against Coventry at the CBS Arena.

The Black Cats recorded their first win of the season with a 2-1 win over Rotherham last weekend, with Jobe Bellingham scoring his first senior goals.

Sunderland are still looking to strengthen before the end of this summer’s transfer window, though, particularly up front.

Mowbray is set to speak to the media at 1pm and we’ll have live updates from the Academy of Light.

Stick around and refresh the page for the latest SAFC news.

We’ll start with the Sunderland team news - and another injury blow.

Patrick Roberts has been ruled out of the side’s next two matches against Coventry and Southampton with a minor hamstring strain, which forced him off in the closing stages of last weekend’s win over Rotherham.

It’s hoped the winger will be able to return after September’s international break.

Ross Stewart, Corry Evans, Aji Alese and Jay Matete all remain sidelined, while new signing Eliezer Mayenda has a hamstring injury.

Elliot Embleton and Jenson Seelt have returned to training but aren’t expected to be available until next month.

Chris Rigg could be available again after missing last weekend’s match against Rotherham after suffering a concussion playing for the under-21s side.

We’ll get a further update when Mowbray speaks to the media this afternoon.

Mowbray said last week he was hopeful the club could sign another striker before this weekend’s match, yet Sunderland haven’t been able to make any more additions over the last few days.

The Black Cats have been exploring the Premier League loan market, with Fulham forward Jay Stansfield one of the players they have held discussions about.

“I think we’ve got two or three names that we’re juggling,” said Mowbray when asked about Stansfield immediately after the Rotherham match.

“I shouldn’t talk about Jay because nothing is done yet, but he’s one of those we’ve had conversations about. There are two or three others. We’ll see what falls for us.”

Sunderland have also been looking at signing an experienced central midfielder and may try to bolster their wide options, yet another striker remains their priority.

Mowbray admitted last week he expects Alex Pritchard to leave the club before the end of the transfer window, with just a year left on the player’s contract.

There has also been uncertainty over the futures of Danny Batth and Lynden Gooch, who are also into the final 12 months of their current deals.

“I like Pritch,” said Mowbray last week.

“Pritch is a good player. I don’t want to get too prescriptive about it, but it looks like Pritch is going to leave the football club. We have to move past that, we have to move on - that’s football.

“Every footballer understands it is a transient game. I got a testimonial at Middlesbrough, I was there 12 years, but that’s very, very, rare in modern-day football. Footballers come, and then they move on, and supporters understand that.

“Alex’s situation is a little bit more complicated than I can discuss openly. He’s a good football player, but there is a fair percentage [chance] that he will leave the football club in the next few weeks.

“If he doesn’t, then we can have more discussions after the window shuts.”

Sunderland have also been considering a loan move for Jewison Bennette.

“Patrick generally plays every game and in my period here he has been very, very robust and available for us.

“He’ll be a loss for us but the good part is I’m sure he’ll be fit in a couple of weeks. He’ll train through the international break and be ready for the game after that.”

“You know more than me.

“No, I haven’t got any information on that to be honest.”

“We are all working hard behind the scenes.

“We are all frustrated, everybody is working really, really hard to try and get deals done and there are lots of deals that seem to be on the cusp.

“I feel as if I’ve sat here for the last three or four press conferences saying they could be in tomorrow, and they haven’t.

“That’s not through, I don;t tell lies I don’t think. We are trying really hard to get these deals done and they are not easy.

“I have to sit here and be confident that by the end of this window we’ll have some strikers in the building, and by the end of the international break the likes of Ross Stewart, who is out on the grass, will be ready.

“The young French lad Eliezer is telling me he’s only two or three weeks away as well.”

“You can’t just go and bring one in because he has a number nine on his back. We have to get the right one for the club.”

“They are a good team, we have been watching them.

“They beat Middlesbrough 3-0 in their home game and have had a couple of away games at Swansea and Leicester.

“They have invested or reinvested the money from their sales. I don’t know the numbers but if you read some reports, a final fee of £8million eventually for Ellis Simms.

“Then somebody cost more than that, their record signing the boy Wright. They have reinvested their money in the team, they have good players, are very solid and defensively really well structured.

“It will be a tough game for us.”

“The loan market is not necessarily part of the plans I would suggest.

“The loan market has been used, obviously Amad Diallo was here on loan last year.

“It’s not where the club look first, they would prefer to sign their own footballers and I think that’s the correct way to go about it.

“The model isn’t that, we are not going to fill this club full of loan players. We are going to try and sign our own players, polish them up and create value in them.

“I think the evidence of Amad last year shows a loan player can help players around them, give them confidence, give them belief and help the team function.

“These players if they’re coming from the Premier League have high quality but I think it’s important you don’t rely too heavily on loan players.”