Phil Smith's Sunderland Q&A: Injury and likely selection hints plus January transfer latest

Sunderland return to Championship action with a long trip to Plymouth Argyle this weekend.

In our weekly Q&A, we take a look at the key talking points both on and off the pitch...

What's the latest on the injury front ahead of the return to action this weekend?

Though some of Sunderland's longer-term injuries are edging close to a return, it seems likely that Tony Mowbray will be selecting from a similar squad this weekend. The big boost is of course the return of Dan Ballard and Luke O'Nien from suspension, though Ballard missed Northern Ireland's most recent fixture with a minor muscle complaint. That was hopefully a precautionary decision, as was the case in the previous international break when Ballard had a minor hamstring issue but returned to play a full part in Sunderland's fixture programme.

Dennis Cirkin is a major doubt for this weekend's game and those that follow after suffering another hamstring issue in the warm up before the Birmingham City win.

Chris Rigg is set to return to Wearside shortly after England U17s were knocked out of the World Cup in Indonesia earlier on Wednesday, though there is little chance of him being included against Plymouth - the trip to Millwall next week might be the point at which he returns to the squad.

Mowbray was hoping that Aji Alese would be able to return to full training around now, and will clearly need a couple of weeks of training and some U21 game time to build his match sharpness. Timothée Pembélé is thought to be a week or two behind Alese in terms of his schedule.

Jay Matete could return to full training sometime next month, with Corry Evans not far behind.

Are any changes to the starting XI likely at Plymouth?

Presuming Ballard is passed fit to play, he and O'Nien will almost certainly reprise their partnership at the heart of defence. Beyond that, it seems highly likely that Mowbray will name an unchanged side. Even in the unlikely event that Cirkin is available, the quality of Niall Huggins' recent performances will almost certainly see him retain his place.

The head coach has spoken of wanting to give Nazariy Rusyn a chance to settle into the XI and though he did not score against Birmingham, he produced a good performance that warrants another chance to impress.

The only other big debate is whether Mowbray continues with Jobe Bellingham, having previously spoken about the need to rest him at some stage. However, the 18-year-old did not go on international duty and so has been able to get a valuable break. It would therefore be no surprise if he played this one with Mowbray potentially looking to the midweek fixture as a chance to bring Adil Aouchiche in for his first start.

Looking slightly further ahead - what do we know about the club's January plans?

Mowbray confirmed just before the international break that the recruitment and coaching team had met to go through the player audits, which is essentially the process of assessing the squad and where strengthening may be needed in the next window.

With that complete, the process then moves on to identify which players who have been scouted and identified over recent months could fit the bill. The coaching staff will then collaborate with the recruitment team and the sporting director to finalise potential targets, laying the groundwork for the club to move when January begins.

Which positions could be targeted for new signings?

Much of it will depend on form and fitness between now and the window opening.

Mowbray has spoken of strengthening up front if his current options can't get on the goal trail, but they have time to secure their place in the side before then. Similarly, there is currently a shortage of options in central midfield but it is feasible that both Jay Matete and Corry Evans could be  in contention by January - certainly Matete is expected to be competing for a place by then.

What we also know is that a big part of the audit process is not just identifying where the team needs strengthening now, but where it might need strengthening in the future. If the club feel due to either a contractual issue or interest from other clubs that a player could leave in the next couple of windows, they'll try and identify potential successors now. That way, they avoid being quoted inflated prices if they do make a significant sale and it allows the incoming player time to settle and adjust before they are required to have a major role in the team.

So it would be no surprise to see them sign more younger players in January, even in positions where the options for Mowbray are currently strong. For instance, they were trying to sign a wide player for a significant fee in the closing moments of the January window but just couldn't get it over the line in time.

What about outgoings - are Sunderland anticipating further bids for Jack Clarke or any of their other young players?

It's certainly a strong possibility but the club are well placed ahead of the window.

After Patrick Roberts agreed a new deal last week, the vast majority of the squad are now signed to long-term contracts. Unless any transformative bid arrives, and that is of course always a possibility given the riches of the Premier League, then Sunderland will feel that they can resist any advances until the summer window at least.