Mike Dodds discusses his striker selection dilemma ahead of crucial Sunderland fixture

Mike Dodds admits he may have to show some pragmatism in selection up front as he bids to end Sunderland's long losing run.

Dodds has given opportunities to Luis Hemir and Mason Burstow since taking over from Michael Beale, and suffered a setback this week when Nazariy Rusyn suffered an injury that ruled him out of QPR's visit to the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

Dodds' primary concerns are in the backline, where he potentially has just one centre back and four defenders available for selection. Dan Ballard has not yet been ruled out with a hamstring problem but is a major doubt, while Luke O'Nien is suspended and Jenson Seelt injured.

Rusyn's injury does also leave Dodds with a dilemma up front, given that both Hemir and Burstow have struggled to impose themselves on the side. While the interim head coach believes there are reasons for that, he says the need to bring a swift end to a dismal run of form is on his mind. As such, the possibility of pushing Jobe Bellingham further forward, a solution that worked at times for both himself and Tony Mowbray earlier in the season - is one temporarily on the table.

"It's trying to strike the balance, isn't it," Dodds said.

"I completely agree in terms of we want to see whether our nines can develop into what we hope they can be and yet at the same time, we have got to win games of football. That's definitely the dilemma I have over the next couple of games in particular.

"I think Hemir has done OK in the couple of games he's played, the Norwich game in particular we set up slightly differently because of how the opposition plays, and he was really selfless. I understand it wasn't a performance that jumped out from the outside but from my perspective, he was really selfless. He did a lot of things in the game for the team. Then against Leicester a few days later, the way we set up was a pressing game and he knows he needs to keep getting better at that, but we also didn't have a huge amount of chances and that's his game, really. So as the season goes on, when we hopefully have more fluidity with our possession, you'd start to see a better version of Hemir. So with Hemir it's a question of which games we pick him for, and I think it's a huge compliment to Jobe that at 18, you can play him in so many different positions and you put him forward as a nine. Wherever the club has put them, he has shown he's going to give everything to try and execute what you ask of him.

"We've got options, there's Mason Burstow as well as Hemir and Jobe," Dodds added.

"I'm hoping Naz will be an option in the next couple of weeks as well, but of course we'll have to wait and see on that one."

Rusyn is set to see a specialist over the international break but Dodds hopes he will be fit to face Cardiff and Blackburn Rovers over the Easter weekend.