Tony Mowbray gives an update on Niall Huggins' progress in injury comeback at Sunderland

Huggins has endured a bitterly frustrating period with injury, which has limited him to two senior appearances this season.

The 22-year-old is back in training but is at this stage not permanently back with the senior group, instead assessing each session to determine when is sensible for him to be involved.

Mowbray's options at the back are severely depleted as a result of injuries but full back is a position in which he is currently stronger, and the club remain determined not to push Huggins too soon and risk another setback.

"Niall won't be involved this weekend," Mowbray said.

"He trained with the U18s on Friday, he's a player on his way back from a serious injury. He did train with us earlier in the week, as in a lot of the sessions we've got players coming up [to join us].

"It depends on the session and what it involves, there are times when he can join in and days where what we're doing is a bit more intense, so he'll drop down and train with the U21s or the U18s. It's just a process of rebuilding that confidence so that he can keep going.

"He's back on the grass so we're hoping that by pre-season he's got his body in a position where he feels strong and he's ready to go.

"We all really like Niall as a player, we just want to build some resilience and resistance in his body for the demands of modern-day football. Hopefully through a good summer and good preparation and getting his body strong, he can do that."

Mowbray retains some hope that Dan Ballard will return to strengthen his defensive options before the season ends, though the Black Cats will not take any risks with the defender and especially not if they are out of the race of the top six by the time he is close to fitness in a week or so.