The Sunderland AFC Q&A: Injuries and contract updates plus selection hints for Swansea City

Sunderland got back to winning ways against Norwich City at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

Here, we take a look at some of the key questions on and off the pitch ahead of the trip to Swansea City this weekend...

What's the latest on injuries ahead of the trip to Swansea City?

Tony Mowbray confirmed after the win over Norwich City that Eliezer Mayenda could be in contention to make his first appearance for the club this weekend, though he clearly will not be in a position to start.

Mayenda had been expected to be on the bench last Saturday, but Mowbray made the decision not to include him after he reported some minor discomfort in the hamstring which has kept him sidelined since his summer arrival. The Sunderland head coach was confident that there was no significant issue, and so if the striker is able to train fully this week as expected, he will likely travel with the squad this weekend.

He will for the time being be limited to brief cameos, but Mowbray believes that he has the attributes to cause real problems for Championship defences.

The only other possible returnee for this weekend's game is Adil Aouchiche, who has missed the last two fixtures with a minor groin problem. Mowbray said the issue was not serious, and so he is expected back as soon as he is able to return to full training. As it stands, he remains a doubt for the Swansea trip.

Aji Alese is expected to be back before too long, but given the length of his absence he will need time to build his match fitness. As such, he is unlikely to be able to play a prominent role until after the next international break.

Sunderland hope that Jay Matete and Timothée Pembélé will return to training towards the end of this month, potentially bringing them into the fold around the festive period once they have built their fitness.

Corry Evans is unlikely to return until the New Year at the earliest.

Do you think Tony Mowbray will make many, if any, changes to his side in South Wales?

Mowbray is likely to continue with much of the same XI that beat Norwich City emphatically at the weekend, and may even name an unchanged starting line up.

The head coach sprung a surprise by handing Nazariy Rusyn his full debut, and explained that he felt it was time both to give Mason Burstow a break and hand the Ukrainian an opportunity in the striking position. Though the wait for a goal from a striker goes on, Rusyn did make an impact and afterwards, Mowbray hinted that he would give him a run in the side to settle in and get up and running.

Mowbray's other key call will be at left back, where Dennis Cirkin is fit again after two encouraging cameos from the substitute's bench. Niall Huggins, though, has been in excellent form since Cirkin suffered a hamstring injury and produced another strong display in the win over Norwich. That form and consistency is likely to be rewarded by Mowbray.

Elsewhere, the team will largely pick itself and the only question is whether the head coach feels any of his young players need a rest after a significant workload in the opening months of the season. Alex Pritchard is the obvious contender if he feels that is the case, though with two free midweeks that does seem unlikely at this stage.

And off the pitch - what's the latest on contract talks at the club?

Patrick Roberts confirmed to The Echo last week that talks had begun on a new deal, and he is clearly the priority for the club given that his current deal expires next summer.

"It’s hopefully getting there so we’ll see on that," Roberts said. The winger is keen to stay at the club and the club are very keen to retain him, though the late summer interest from Southampton showed the potentially lucrative moves that could be on offer elsewhere.

Sunderland would also ideally like to reward Jack Clarke's progress with a new deal, though there is no major rush here as he will still have two years left to run on his current deal at the end of this season. With Premier League interest in the winger only likely to grow as his form goes from strength to strength, Sunderland face a major challenge in competing with those sides. As such, this is likely to be a longer-term conversation and most likely will be linked to how the club progress on the field. What they did show last summer was that they will only sell for a significant fee.

What's the latest on Amad - is there any chance of a return in January?

Amad posted on social media this week that he is stepping up his recovery from a knee injury he sustained in pre-season with Manchester United.

Sunderland were potentially interested in another loan this summer, proposing that the winger could finish his rehab on Wearside and then build his match fitness ahead of the January window. That clearly didn't happen but it's clear that the Black Cats would be interested if United decide another loan is the best option. That will depend on Amad's progress, as he should be fit in time to get a chance to impress at Old Trafford before the turn of the year.

Amad is keen to make the breakthrough at Old Trafford but it is well known that Wearside would be his preferred option were he to go out on loan again. Ultimately, the decision will rest with Manchester United.