Sunderland AFC news RECAP: Tony Mowbray press conference and transfer latest ahead of Ipswich fixture

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Tony Mowbray’s pre-match press conference ahead of Sunderland’s Championship opener against Ipswich on Sunday.

The Black Cats boss is set to speak to the media at 1pm today, 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, with several players still sidelined following the end of last season.

Ross Stewart, Corry Evans, Aji Alese and Elliot Embleton will all miss the start of the upcoming campaign and haven’t featured in pre-season.

New signing Jenson Seelt has been recovering from an ongoing ankle issue, while Jay Matete picked up a knee injury during Sunderland’s US tour and is set to be sidelined for around two months.

New striker Eliezer Mayenda has also been ruled out with a hamstring injury.

Luke O’Nien wasn’t in the squad for Tuesday’s friendly match at Hartlepool due to a personal reason but is expected to be available for this weekend’s match.

Winger Isaac Lihadji could leave Wearside this summer following interest from Qatar.

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

On the transfer front Sunderland signed goalkeeper Nathan Bishop from Manchester United this week, with the 23-year-old set to provide competition for Anthony Patterson.

The Black Cats are still looking to strengthen their striker options this summer, with Hemir the only recognised and available centre-forward ahead of the Ipswich game.

Sunderland have been credited with interest in Bologna striker Sydney van Hooijdonk, who has also been linked with Southampton.

When asked about transfers at the EFL season launch event on Wednesday, Mowbray said: “We’re working really hard on that.

“We had a meeting yesterday and we’ve got bids in for players. We’re pushing hard to make sure we have additions in that part of the pitch.

“Hemir wasn’t really bought as a number one centre forward right away, he was brought as a project to nurture and to grow and to give him some game time. We didn’t bring him in to play 46 games right away. The hope would be he could play some, someone else could play some, maybe playing two together at times.

“I’m pretty sure that we will have some help for Hemir at the top end of the pitch, whether that be before the season starts or certainly before the window closes.

“The key for the football club is that we give support to Hemir and Eliezer, who obviously has picked up an injury.

“I think we need another attacking player in the building, and I know we’re working hard to do that.”

“It doesn’t seem very long since we finished to be honest. It’s like planet football now, it’s everywhere.

“I think we’re ready to go, it’s what we do, play football on a Saturday and on a Tuesday and or a Wednesday.

“We kick off not quite knowing how everyone else is and where we are going to be in the pecking order.

“It’s going to be a tough league but it will be a great league to play in.”

“I think their coach is very bright.

“Watching them, they play attractive football and finished the season strong.

“They scored lots of goals, particularly at home they were really dominant.

“It’s a great club, a lovely part of the world and I’m pleased Ipswich are on their way back really.

“They are a well-coached team, Kieran has obviously come from a Man United background.

“They’ve recruited well and will be a test for us that’s for sure.”

“It’s a horrific disease.

“I played with Stewie, my last ever game was at Wembley in the play-off final. Stewie also scored that day for Ipswich.

“He was a great lad to be around and played football with a freedom.

“He was a brilliant footballer who had a great brain to make runs into the box and find space.

“It will be great to see Stewie, I’ve spoken to his wife a few times to try and organise stuff.

It will be great to see him, a wonderful lad and a horrible, terrible disease.

“Hopefully we will raise lots of money and raise awareness of MND.”

“Seeing how the new players get on and seeing if we can keep improving the young players.

“Hopefully they will be better from the experience last year.

“Some of the players had never played in the Championship so the experience of last year will stand them in good stead.

“We want to try and win games and play a brand of football where we can win games, score goals and get supporters excited.”

“If you were at the game at Hartlepool the other night you’d have seen that not too many of them are going to impact the starting line-up.

“That might seem harsh and yet the reality is the game on Saturday and the game on Tuesday, as I say to all my players, you are getting judged all the time.

“To compete as well as we did on Saturday against a team which finished in the top half of La Liga, they are always difficult games when you play Spanish teams or French teams in pre-season.”

“We then went to Hartlepool on a wet, windy night and got battered

“Do I know my team, yes.

“I think as I’ve said publicly we need to add a couple more players and we will be trying to do that, not by Sunday but definitely by the end of this month.”

“With Hemir, his size probably belies what he is on the training ground.

“He gives everything he’s got coming from Portuguese football and I think the running in pre-season has really shocked him.

“He’s found the training really, really tough but he’s a good kid, he’s playing down the middle for us and scored a few goals.

“Young Seelt has got injured and hasn’t been training for a week or two.

“Triantis has got lots of wonderful attributes, fast and direct but needs to slow himself down a little bit if anything, needs to know when he should go for a challenge.

“Over the years they will get game time and get a feel for what the league is all about.”