Tony Mowbray reveals new Sunderland injury setback and confirms striker transfer stance

Sunderland have been dealt an injury setback after new signing Eliezer Mayenda suffered a hamstring injury in his first training session at the club.

Mayende joined from Ligue 2 side Sochaux earlier this week but is now facing an extended spell on the sidelines.

Head coach Tony Mowbray says the club were already looking to sign an additional striker before the end of the transfer window, already aware that the 18-year-old Mayenda would need time to settle and acclimatise at the club.

Those efforts will intensify over the next few days and weeks, though there were more positive signs from Hemir as he scored another goal in the 1-1 draw with Real Mallorca.

"We're working really hard behind the scenes to get another option at the top end of the pitch, so that we then decide whether we go two up or top, or whether we alternate them dependent on the opposition etc," Mowbray said.

"We're pleased with Hemir but we're working hard to get another one in. Teams these days do a lot of high pressing and sometimes if you have that target, you can get past that and force them not to press so much. For a lot of last year we never had that option.

Hemir can give you that outlet, which is good.

"Mayenda trained with us but picked up a hamstring strain. He looks powerful and exciting and fast, but he's not going to be ready for a few months now.

"But he's a young boy, we won't burden him and he'll at least this way get a chance to settle into the area and get used to a new environment."

Mowbray said the draw with Mallorca was an important step up for his side ahead of the new Championship campaign.

"It was a good test for us, the level we needed to be tested at," Mowbray said.

"It was good to play a team that finished ninth in La Liga last year and you could see that they knew what they were doing with the ball.

"It was the right game for us, good signs in the first half. We looked a bit drained at the start of the second half, not just because they scored. We lost a little bit of intensity which we'll need in the Championship but I think that's understandable, a lot of us are still a bit under the weather after a long trip. I had my first proper night sleep last night, and I'm sure it's the same for a lot of the lads.

"It was a good game, a proper test and we came through it well in the end."