Sunderland AFC headlines: Striker reveals reason behind loan exit, injury update

Here are Tuesday’s SAFC headlines.

Jack Diamond opens up about his loan exit to Lincoln City

In an exclusive interview with the Echo, Diamond has been reflecting on his loan exit from Sunderland.

With just three days of the transfer window remaining, a deal was agreed with League One side Lincoln City for the player to leave Wearside on another loan deal.

Since then Diamond has certainly made a positive impression at the LNER Stadium, scoring four goals in his first three league appearances, including a hat-trick against Bristol Rovers last time out.

“I always kind of knew that if I wasn’t going to play that I didn’t want to kind of sit around,” Diamond tells the Echo when asked about his decision to leave Sunderland.

“I think a loan was the best option if I wasn’t going to play. I gave my all in pre-season then I think it just kind of came to a point where I was looking and a few clubs were asking what was happening.

“When it came to the first game of the season and I wasn’t in the squad or anything it was kind of a question of when would be the right time.”

When will Everton loanee Ellis Simms be back for Sunderland?

Tony Mowbray remains hopeful that he will be able to welcome some key Sunderland players back into the fold after the international break.

Ellis Simms was absent as Sunderland earned a 2-2 draw against Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday due to a toe problem.

"It was touch and go with Ellis, and the common sense thing was just not to expose his toe, where he could go down after five or ten minutes," Mowbray explained.

"It's OK having a jog about and thinking you're OK, but in a Championship match where there is no hiding place I think it made more sense just to give him a couple of weeks.

"Then I would hope by the Preston game when we restart that he'll be in contention. We'll have to wait and see, of course, because until he gets his boots on and starts sprinting then we won't know for sure."