Sunderland manager Michael Beale has supplied an injury update ahead of the Tees-Wear derby clash against Middlesbrough on Sunday.
Sunderland have a miserable record against their North East rivals and it’s one that supporters will want to see put to an end this weekend.
The Black Cats have lost six of their last nine matches against Middlesbrough in all competitions, including a 4-0 defeat in the reverse fixture at the Stadium of Light.
Boro ran riot that day as a Dan Neil red card opened up the floodgates in the second half with Sam Greenwood, Matt Crooks, Isaiah Jones and Marcus Forss all scoring.
Ahead of their latest meeting, Michael Beale’s side find themselves in seventh position, one point behind the top six but three clear of their rivals.
Beale knows how important this fixture is to get fans on his side, especially after losing 3-0 to Newcastle in January and he’s been dealt some positive news in his quest to achieve that.
Michael Beale says Patrick Roberts is back in contention
In his pre-match press conference, the Sunderland boss confirmed that Patrick Roberts could return to the matchday squad following his spell on the sidelines.
Although he’s unlikely to dislodge the in-form Abdoullah Ba, who was exceptional against Stoke City, he does offer a big boost to the Black Cats after declaring he’s fit and ready to go.
“Patrick Roberts will be involved as long as he comes through training on Saturday, so he’s ahead of schedule,” Beale said.
“It’s important that we respect that as well but if you ask Paddy, he’s fit and ready to go.”
While new signing Callum Styles is still recovering from his surgery, the 43-year-old has confirmed that the club’s other January additions, Leo Hjelde and Romaine Mundle are ready to play a part in the matchday squad.
“Leo and Romaine are both ready to go. Leo is slightly in front of Romaine in terms of the minutes he’s played this season but they’re both ready to come straight into the squad this weekend.”
Roberts return is a timely boost
Prior to his spell on the sidelines, Roberts wasn’t performing to the best of his abilities, or at least the level Sunderland supporters know he can.
The 26-year-old only produced one assist in 23 Championship matches, a huge drop from the five goals and seven assists he served up last season.
Beale knows that on his day he can be a match-winner for Sunderland, dangerously cutting onto his left foot and wreaking havoc against his opponents.
With the superb form of Jack Clarke, Roberts’ impact has been blunted somewhat, but there would be no better way to announce his return to the side by scoring against Boro on Sunday.
That would truly put him back into starting contention.