This is the mood inside the Sunderland dressing room ahead of a busy run of fixtures

And he insists Sunderland have a big enough squad to cope with the demand of what is set to be a very intense second half of the campaign.

Games against Shrewsbury Town (A), Blackpool (H) and Accrington Stanley (A) all still have to be re-arranged in an already busy schedule.

The Black Cats were facing another free weekend but the club has managed to re-arrange the Hull City game for this Saturday evening at the Stadium of Light, the game to be broadcast live on Sky Sports.

Reflecting on the recent break in fixtures and the congestion that will follow, Scowen said: "We know the fixtures and it's going to be a tough run-in.

"But we're more than fit enough to be able to keep up with them.

"We've got a a big squad and I'm sure the gaffer will use most the players in the squad.

“As a player you want to play games, so that's been a bit frustrating.

"But it's out of our hands really and we've got to do what we've got to do.”

And Scowen has been impressed with the start the new Sunderland boss has made, Lee Johnson replacing Phil Parkinson in the Stadium of Light hotseat.

He added: “He's got a lot of ideas which we need to take on board quickly for us to succeed this season.

"I enjoy his philosophy of play and what he brings to the training field.”

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