The Sunderland player who has emerged as a 'huge positive' for Tony Mowbray in recent weeks

Tony Mowbray has praised Niall Huggins and Jobe Bellingham for helping his side manage some key injuries in recent weeks.

A hamstring problem for Dennis Cirkin left Sunderland without a recognised left back as Aji Alese closes in on full fitness, but it is of course a position in which Huggins has significant experience for Leeds United.

The challenge for Huggins has been finding consistency after two injury-hit campaigns, but he has started the four most recent fixtures and been particularly impressive int he last two.

Mowbray is confident that the 22-year-old can cope with another three-game week ahead of the upcoming international break.

"I think Niall has been a huge positive for us," Mowbray said.

"He's a young boy who has had a lot of setbacks with injuries in his time here.

"I've thrown him in for the odd game, I'm thinking of Birmingham away last year where we stuck him in, we won the game and he did very well.

"He's a very talented player, and one who I tried to sign from Leeds at Blackburn Rovers. His best moments are when he dribbles and drives with the ball, he straightens up and cuts inside and drives away from people. He's talented and we're pleased for him.

"I shouldn't really talk about it because it'll be a jinx on him!

"He needs to just keep focused and keep on doing what he has been doing," Mowbray added.

"And what he has been doing is being part of the jigsaw, he does his job where he is asked to do it, fills the part of the pitch he has been asked to fill, and he has been efficient at it. He has to keep on doing that, no more and no less.

"It lets the team function - you just do your job, and he has done that very well. I can't see any reason why he can't do it a couple more times before the international break.

"Not once have I seen him say 'I need to miss [training] today, this is a bit sore or that's a bit tight, can I have a day off, gaffer? I'm feeling this or that but I should be alright in a couple of days.'

"There's been none of that.

"He just puts his boots on every day and goes out and trains, which is a really good sign for us."

Pierre Ekwah's ongoing issue with a hematoma in his leg has also required Jobe Bellingham to drop deeper into midfield, a role in which he also has impressed.

"Jobe, we've had to tinker with his role," Mowbray said.

"I talked about it in the window about how it felt as if we were light in midfield and yet we always had in our minds that if Dan Neil or Pierre Ekwah got injured, he would drop in there because we had Dack, Pritchard, Ba etc who could play in front of him.

"Getting injuries to Dack and Ekwah at the same time was a challenge for us but they've done well, they're young players who want to get better and understand the game better."