This is when Sunderland's strikers are currently set to return after Tony Mowbray admission

It was also a night on which their striker shortage cost them in front of goal, with Mowbray admitting afterwards to Sky Sports that no return was imminent for Ross Stewart or Ellis Simms.

He said: "On a regular basis, it's going to have to be after the World Cup probably, but we'll have to wait and see."

So where exactly are the two players in their comebacks?

ELLIS SIMMS

Simms is the player Sunderland hope will be back soon as the ligament damage to his toe appears to clear.

He has been back on the training pitches over the last week and thus far has managed to take some encouraging steps forward without any significant pain.

Though he is not thought to be realistically in contention to start against Burnley this Saturday, he could be back in some capacity next weekend.

"We're hoping that he'll join the group for training starting Monday,” Mowbray said. “He's been on the grass in his boots for a week now, but in a controlled environment with the physios.

"The uncontrolled stuff, when he's just joining in with the players and he's not being careful with his twisting and turning or anything, starts Monday.

"That'll be the final test for him and if he overcomes that he should potentially be available for the trip to Luton - that's the trip that we should be aiming for I think.

"We've spoken a lot with Ellis and player welfare will always be at the forefront. We need him back but the right thing to do is to go through with the processes. If he gets through a full week of training then he could be ready to make the bench or even a start knowing that he won't then complete 90 minutes.

"But we won't take risks - we have a long way to go this season and we need Ellis to be fit for most of it."

ROSS STEWART

Stewart was ruled out initially for six to eight weeks with a grade three tear in his thigh muscle, though Mowbray said the timeframe could short or extend slightly on Stewart's recovery.

That raised some hope of him returning before the World Cup break but at this stage it appears unlikely. The Scot is yet to rejoin the training pitches and Mowbray's preference is to use those three weeks to get his talisman fully up to speed; having him for the rest of the season will define whether the Black Cats can push on from this encouraging start.

Mowbray said on Monday: “Ross is coming along well, but I don’t think we need to make a decision about comeback plans until the boy feels that he’s ready to put his boots back on and get back out on the grass.

"We won’t be taking a chance on him, that’s the main thing. I always believe that after Christmas and the transfer window, those months from February through to May are the crucial stage.

"That’s when you really need to be firing and winning games. I’m hoping this club will be really strong then, with Ross coming back and hopefully Ellis and Dan Ballard too. Hopefully, the team will be stronger and more powerful then, and the competition for places will be more extreme."