Tony Mowbray has confirmed that Nazariy Rusyn could make his Sunderland debut this weekend.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the Black Cats boss has revealed that Rusyn has finally received the relevant paperwork to make him available for selection against Cardiff City.
After netting 15 goals for Zorya Luhansk last season, including two goals in three games in the Europa League, the forward was heavily linked with Sunderland for a large chunk of the summer transfer window.
The Wearside outfit launched a ‘final’ bid of between £1.7m and £2.6m for Rusyn over a month ago, however it wasn’t until transfer deadline day that the club finally confirmed that the Ukrainian had joined.
Rusyn went onto finally arrive on Wearside last week and has since been waiting for his visa to allow him to play in the Championship.
Mowbray has now confirmed that the 24-year-old has now been given the green light to make his debut, though it is still unclear whether he will play.
“We will assess him in training and see where he is at,” Mowbray said. “He’s a nice kid and he looks pretty sharp. Whether he is ready is another question.”
When will Nazariy Rusyn play for Sunderland?
Rusyn has been taking part in first team training since arriving in England last week, though he hadn’t played for Zorya since the start of August due to an injury.
Fans are really eager to see the forward in action after such a long transfer saga over the summer.
With Rusyn expected to play out wide for Sunderland, he will have a lot of competition when battling for his place in the starting line-up. The Ukraine U-21 international will be up against the likes of Jack Clarke, Patrick Roberts and Abdoullah Ba if he is to force his way into Mowbray’s plans.