Sunderland AFC news: What Tony Mowbray said about striker search, transfers, Ross Stewart and Preston fixture

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Tony Mowbray’s pre-match press conference ahead of Sunderland’s Championship fixture against Preston.

The Black Cats boss 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 latest Sunderland team news.

Mowbray is set to recall several first-team players who were rested for Tuesday’s Carabao Cup match against Crewe, when the Black Cats boss made 10 changes.

Sunderland have also been handed an injury boost after Elliot Embleton and Jenson Seelt were spotted joining in first-team training this week.

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

Lynden Gooch missed Tuesday’s match against Crewe with a knock, yet the setback isn’t thought to be serious.

Trai Hume is available following his red card against Ipswich, after serving his one-match suspension against Crewe in the cup.

We’ll get a further update from Mowbray later today.

Following Tuesday’s Carabao Cup match against Crewe, Mowbray had a lengthy transfer meeting with sporting director Kristjaan Speakman.

“We’ve been talking about strikers and recruitment, and hopefully that will change over the next few days,” Mowbray told the media after the meeting.

“We need to try to put some players into the football club if we can.

“We are discussing things. There’s always options, and the recruitment department have done an amazing job over the last few years at this football club. The options are laid out. Some are pretty expensive, some are pretty doable, and some are stretching us to where we don’t really want to go to at this minute.

“What do we do? The club will make the right decision, I’m sure. We need to back Stuart Harvey. He works extraordinarily hard, and he’s given us the options. We’ll sit there with Kristjaan, and with Veno [Mark Venus] and the two Mikes, Proctor and Dodds, and the goalkeeping coach, and we’re discussing the next option, really.

“Are we going to bring one in? Is he the right one? You need to get the right one, but you might have to wait for the right one, so are we going to go weeks and weeks, and then it falls through?

“I think the best thing is to get one in the building now. Then let’s work with him.

“I’m not sure we’re in the market to get the finished article. I think we’re in the market to sign young footballers that all need polishing up, so I don’t think we’ll be getting the finished article, but still, let’s get one more in the building and get to work.”

Mowbray also discussed the possibility of players leaving the club, following interest in experienced trio Danny Batth, Alex Pritchard and Lynden Gooch - who all have just a year left on their Sunderland contracts.

“I think my own view is about the individuals, the players,” said Mowbray.

‘If there’s an understanding that the players are maybe going to leave or either want to leave or feel as though they’re not required – then I think my first thought is always about the human being and their families, and what’s right for them. Particularly as you start to tiptoe into your 30s, you need to have contractual situations that are right for the human being.

“So I’m supportive of Danny and Alex, and Goochy, who picked up a knock so didn’t play [against Crewe] but who should be alright in a couple of days. I think what will be, will be. Let’s see what this next three weeks brings. I, personally, need to be supportive of those players. Obviously, I’m employed by this football club and we will do what we think is right for the football club at the time. That might be allowing players to leave, as long as we replace them.”

“I think everyday there is a bit of movement, yet there is nobody through the door yet.

“I fully understand deals are difficult to do. Selling clubs can start really high if they want and deals take a long time to get done.

“Everyday we have an update now, are we any closer? Yeah we are closer than yesterday.

“I understand, I used to spend most of my holidays doing things like this. I feel as though I’m here stamping my feet saying where’s a striker? Yet I should know because for 20 years I’ve been feeling frustration of trying to get someone through the door

“That’s why a lot of clubs leave deals until the last day, not intentionally, but the clock starts to run out.

“It will get resolved. We have to try and get it right and this time between now and the window shutting will be gone and hopefully the team will get stronger and stronger and better and better.

“We have to get it right and not rush. We are working hard.

“We have got a couple of injured strikers Ross Stewart and Eliezer, who got injured on his first day here.

We’ve got a young Portuguese boy who made his first senior appearance last weekend and that’s where we are at the moment until we get new recruits through the door.”

“He’s quite a humble kid. He understands he’s come to a new country and is acclimatising.

“Things we all take for granted like driving a car or something, where to go to eat, where’s the supermarket?

“All these things he’s trying to adjust to, all them little things, bank accounts, while we’re expecting him to bang some goals in for the team.

“The staff, we are all pleased with his quality and his talent and I think he just has to acclimatise to the environment.

“When you play for our team you have to work hard, you have to run off the ball when you are playing up front

“It’s just a different culture from where he’s come from and I think it will take maybe a few months to mould him into the centre-forward we want him to be. He undoubtedly has the talent.

“He agrees he needs to get his fitness levels up and we’ll be trying to do that as well as giving him game time.”

“I just want the team to be good and successful. We played for a lot of time last season without what you’d call a centre-forward.

“Someone said to me we were in the top six for expected goals. Now I’m not really sure what expected goals are, I’m sure yous will know better than me. Someone said that to me after the Ipswich game.

I think we have proved we can play without a number nine at times. I try not to moan about it but I just want the best opportunity against different types of teams to play different ways to give us the options to play with a number nine, or two wide strikers, or a false nine.

“Just the options are a bit short at the moment. I try not to moan, I just try to be realistic.

“As long as we have players who can attack, Clarke and Roberts can attack, Pritchard can attack, Semedo can attack, Dack can attack. Jobe played in a pretty advanced area, Dan Neil scored the goal.

“We have enough people who can get into the box and are just trying to put the pieces together.”

“I think they are a really honest, hard-working team.

“They are well structured playing three at the back, three attacking players, the wing-backs play really aggressive and high.

“It’s always difficult. I spent five and a half years at Blackburn Rovers, which was less than 10 miles from Preston so we were very aware of Preston and them games were big games.

“Preston is always a difficult place to go, they are very emotional, very passionate about their football team. Historically Preston was one of the giants of English football.

“Whenever you go to Preston you know you are in for a really tough game and I’m sure we will be in for a tough game on Saturday.”

“He was on the grass today with his boots on, that’s a positive sign.

“I’m not sure the timescale of a few weeks is right, it will probably be a bit more than a few weeks, six or seven weeks is my inkling before he can potentially get on the pitch.

“I think the club are pretty relaxed. Obviously we’d like him to sign a new contract, we’ve obviously had lots of discussions.

“The situation is he’s getting himself fit. There’s no pressure, we’re not stood over Ross every five minutes telling him to get out there and get pushed on.

“He has to get fit because he’s had a bad injury and we have to make sure in his mind he’s ready to play.”