Tony Mowbray has provided an injury update on Jay Matete.
Speaking ahead of Sunderland’s trip to Stoke City today, the Black Cats boss confirmed that Matete was back in training.
The midfielder joined Sunderland from Fleetwood Town in January 2022 but failed to earn a regular spot in the starting line-up and was sent out on loan to Plymouth Argyle a year later.
Matete was brilliant for Plymouth as he helped them win the League One title, before returning to Sunderland to fight for his place in the team.
However, the 22-year-old suffered a knee injury during pre-season and has been sidelined for the past three months.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference via Chronicle Live, Mowbray said: “Jay has had his boots on this week, very nice new boots as well!
“He’s been on the grass, running round some poles and jumping over some poles. That suggests to me that he is getting closer.
“So yeah, I would suggest that sometime in November he could be back in action.”
With Corry Evans also out with a long-term injury, Jay Matete would have been a very useful player to have fit in the opening months of the campaign.
Tony Mowbray has had limited options in his midfield as of late, with Pierre Ekwah and Bradley Dack both sidelined.
Can Jay Matete still be successful at Sunderland?
Matete had showed glimmers of hope following his arrival last year and definitely proved himself whilst out on loan, so it was a real shame when he got injured.
I think the 22-year-old would have been pushing for a place in the starting line-up and would have been a great player to be able to rotate to give the likes of Dan Neil a break, especially given the major selection headache that his current ban has given us.
Matete is still very young though and has plenty of time to earn his place once he returns to full fitness. He could be a very important player in our push for promotion in the second half of the season.