Sunderland AFC headlines: Tony Mowbray reveals Ellis Simms' injury timeline

Ahead of the game, head coach Tony Mowbray has been speaking to the media. Here are Monday’s SAFC headlines.

When will Everton loanee Ellis Simms return from injury?

Mowbray gave an update on Ellis Simms, saying: “Ellis’ situation won’t be changing over the next week or two, I don’t think.

"I’m hoping I’ll surprise you all in two or three weeks by saying Ellis is back training and you might see him on the bench, but at the moment, that’s not the case.

“We have to be cautious with him. If you picture the injury, it’s his big toe, it’s a ligament and it needs some time to settle down. I don’t think it’s a case of ‘strap it up, lock the bottom half of his foot solid, and just put it in a boot’.

“If it was a cup final, the last day of the season, and we needed to win, we’d probably play him. But that’s not the case. Give him the time he needs, a couple of weeks, and hopefully we’ll have some news.”

Ex-Sunderland midfielder Lee Cattermole handed new Middlesbrough role

Former Sunderland captain Lee Cattermole will move into an assistant coaching role with Middlesbrough’s first-team following Chris Wilder’s sacking at the Riverside.

Boro have announced that Wilder’s contract has been terminated with immediate effect following Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Coventry, which has left the club 22nd in the Championship.

A club statement revealed that Leo Percovich will take over first-team affairs on an interim basis, and will be assisted by Craig Liddle, Mark Tinkler and Cattermole.

Cattermole was appointed Boro’s under-18s coach in January after retiring as a player in 2020.