Sunderland AFC news: What Tony Mowbray said about Nazariy Rusyn, Dan Ballard, injury latest and QPR fixture

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Tony Mowbray’s pre-match press conference ahead of this weekend’s fixture against QPR.

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 latest Sunderland team news.

Patrick Roberts has returned to training after missing the side’s last two matches against Coventry and Southampton with a minor hamstring injury.

New signing Nazariy Rusyn has also been training after overcoming a groin issue and could make his Sunderland debut after joining the club from Ukrainian side Zorya Luhansk on deadline day.

Chelsea loanee Mason Burstow and midfielder Adil Aouchiche could make their Black Cats’ debuts.

Timothee Pembele was Sunderland’s fourth signing on the final day of the transfer window but is still recovering from a cruciate ligament injury.

Striker Eliezer Mayenda has been sidelined with a hamstring problem since joining Sunderland in July but has been making progress.

Aji Alese, Corry Evans and Jay Matete remain sidelined with long-term issues.

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

Sunderland have confirmed new signing Timothee Pembele is undergoing a personal maintenance programme following a long-term injury setback.

The 21-year-old right-back signed for the Black Cats on transfer deadline day for an undisclosed fee from PSG, signing a five-year deal at the Stadium of Light.

Pembele, who is a France U23s international, made just five senior appearances for PSG last season as he recovered from a cruciate ligament injury.

Sunderland have released a statement to provide an update on the defender, stating Pembele “is currently undergoing a personal maintenance programme alongside the club’s performance team, having returned to action earlier this year following a long-term injury.

“Pembele’s last competitive outing came in March, with his schedule set to build over the next month as he transitions to full training and first-team action.”

“I think there are a lot of games now between now and the next international break, three games this week. We are looking forward to them.

“Winning 5-0 against a really fancied team in the league we shouldn’t be doing anything other than putting the points in the bag and working hard, which we have been doing this week.

“Let’s get back to the hard work and graft. Hopefully we can go to QPR and find some of the quality we found in the Southampton game.”

“I think we are playing against a totally different football team.

“Every team you play against has their own strengths and weaknesses.

“QPR don’t play as many passes in their own half of the pitch as Southampton did so it’s a totally different way that we have to play against a team which plays differently to the previous one.

“I think this is why the Championship is so difficult because you generally get two days or a day and a half to prepare for the next team who play totally differently to the team you’ve just played.

“You have to be adaptable and flexible.”

“The Ross Stewart situation is off the agenda now.

“The next goalscoring hero for the fans has to emerge. We have some strikers in the building now and have had a few days working with them, learning their strengths and weaknesses.

“They have to find their place in the squad. The squad have applied themselves really well so far.

“We have been playing without strikers for the last few games, with Bellingham and Dack.

“We have some strikers now, we have to look if we are going to change formation and see which game is best for different players.

“It’s a good issue for us that we have choices to make now for each game.”

“I think any football club’s job is to take away excuses. My job is to take excuses away from the players.

“I don’t say they are excuses, they are the realities. We played for a long time without a recognised striker.

“It became not a problem for us because we had a lot of technical players. Last season Diallo is not a striker, yet he scored 14 goals and was bending them in the top corner.

“We have to play to the strengths of the team that we get but there will be a period of time when we are finding out about the strengths and weaknesses of the players who we have got.”

“They just won 2-0 at Middlesbrough which was a great result for them.

“I think we have to be mindful of the threats that they carry.

“Ilias Chair is a wonderful talent, Andre Dozzell scored at Middlesbrough, Sinclair Armstrong, everyone I speak to says what a player he is.

“They have threats and we have to be mindful of them playing at home.

“We have to go there and try to impose ourselves on the football match and be very respectful of how hard they will work and how organised they are.”

“I think we are still working hard on visas and stuff like that at the moment.

“As I sit here right now he’s not available, he might be tomorrow or this afternoon.

“He looks exciting. He looks fast, he looks direct, he looks quick.

“We just have to work with all them things I’ve spoken about in the past with signings coming in who don’t speak the language.

“We shouldn’t be expecting too much too early from them, a player who is away from home doesn’t speak the language.

“Let’s give him some time and be patient with him, but he looks a good footballer.

“Hopefully in the next couple of weeks he can impact games.”