What Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray said about transfers, Middlesbrough, team news and injuries

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Tony Mowbray’s pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s match against Middlesbrough.

The Black Cats boss is set to speak to the media at 12:30pm today, while there are less than two weeks remaining in the January transfer window.

We’ll have live updates from the Academy of Light.

We’ll start with the latest on the transfer front.

Sunderland are still yet to make a signing this month, yet there remains confidence that they will be active before the end of the window.

The Black Cats are still looking to sign another midfielder in the coming weeks, following Jay Matete’s loan move to Plymouth, and have reportedly been tracking West Ham youngster Pierre Ekwah who could be available on loan.

Sunderland are also looking to bolster their striker options, ideally signing a young striker on a permanent deal who can develop over time.

Genk striker Andras Nemeth, who will be out of contract this summer, is a name which has been mentioned, yet it’s not clear whether his club will sanction a January move.

Sunderland are also still monitoring Ellis Simms’ situation at Everton after the striker was abruptly recalled from his loan spell on Wearside.

In terms of injuries Sunderland are still dealing with multiple setbacks.

Aji Alese (ankle), Alex Pritchard (calf) and Dennis Cirkin (hip) have all been unavailable in recent weeks and remain doubts for the fixture against Middlesbrough.

Niall Huggins returned to training last week and could be available again, yet Luke O’Nien will now serve a three-match suspension following his red card against Swansea.

Elliot Embleton remains out with a long-term injury.

We’ll get a further update from Mowbray later today.

“I’ve done it once back at the Riverside not long after I arrived.

“They are games that footballers should want to play in, I think. There will be a big crowd and local pride at stake, two teams that are doing ok in the league. They are exciting games.

“I’m really looking forward to it and think it will be a really good game.

“Watching Middlesbrough’s games over recent weeks they have done exceptionally well and Michael has brought a confidence and belief to the team.

“They are confident with the ball and have good rotations. They come in a confident mode and I think our team is in a good place.

“Until the sending off I think we were on top of Swansea.”

“Middlesbrough have brought Michael in who has spent a long period of career under arguably the greatest coach in the modern era of football.

“When I speak to him he is very calm, very methodical, knows what he wants to do and how he wants his team to play. I think he brings a lot of emotional intelligence to the job.

“I wish them well but we are in a competition with them and I’m hoping that we can beat them and finish above them and compete all season with them.

“He just seems to me a really good guy and I wish him well.

“I want that club to do well because that’s where I’m from and where I grew up but not at the expense of this club where I work everyday and interact with the players and the supporters.

“I’m looking forward to a good game.”

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“Middlesbrough have invested a lot of money over the years, Steve Gibson has been there a long, long time.

“I think the impressive thing with Michael is he hasn’t changed too much from Chris Wilder and yet he seems to be getting a really positive reaction from the team and similar players.

“Michael has brought his own style and way of playing and they are all reacting very positively, but they have good players and it will be a good challenge for us.”

“We hopefully over the next few weeks will announce some young, exciting signings that just keep the club growing.

“We aren’t sitting here, sign this one and this one and we should get in the top six and have a chance of promotion. We are trying to grow the club incrementally so we get stronger and stronger.

“If I’m sitting here in 18 months time we should be thinking about a club that can compete right at the top end of the table.”

“I know Kristjaan is working extraordinarily hard.

“It’s frustrating the transfer window and at certain levels of football if you haven’t got multi-millions of pounds to force deals over the line.

“We are trying to do the right deals for the football club with players who have growth in them and will become better, and they are not easy to do.

“They are not easy deals to do and that’s why every deal doesn’t get done on the first day of the transfer window and we might be doing deals right on the last day of the transfer window.

“I know there is a lot of hard work and a lot of talking going on behind the scenes to incrementally improve the squad.”

“You don’t want to hear about our new injuries.

“I think our squad is stretched at the moment, is the best way to say it.

“I get a report every morning off the medical department and I think Monday is going to be a bright day for us because there are potentially five players coming back and are going to put their boots on and come and train with the team on Monday morning.

“That doesn’t help us for the Boro match of course but I still think we have a really talented group of players who can give Middlesbrough plenty of problems.”

“Short.

“I don’t want to sit here and give anything away but it is an area of the pitch where we are missing a few players and the options are pretty light for us.

“That’s ok because I’m hoping we are going to be playing most of the game at the other area of the pitch.

“I think in a week or ten days we will look a lot stronger, yet I do feel we have the players who can hopefully deal with what’s coming.

“I think Luke O’Nien is undoubtedly a loss. He brings huge mobility, drive, desire and commitment to the job but we have other options and players who have done very well for the team.”