Sunderland midfielder Alex Pritchard might be unlikely to play from the beginning in opposition to Fulham, Tony Mowbray has confirmed.
The Lowdown: Repeated accidents
Pritchard was initially dominated out with a calf damage in mid-December, and he returned to the match-day squad for the 4-1 win in opposition to Wigan Athletic on the finish of the month, with Mowbray bringing him on within the second half.
That call backfired, nonetheless, with the midfielder having to be withdrawn minutes later, and he was not included within the squad for the subsequent three Championship matches, earlier than returning off the bench in opposition to Millwall final day trip.
The Newest: Replace from Mowbray
The playmaker made a right away affect on his return, weighing in with an help within the 1-1 draw, however the Sunderland boss has indicated that tonight’s sport might be too quickly for him to begin, saying:
“I am undecided Pritch is able to be thrown in and play as a false 9 or No.10,”
“We have now to take a look at the gamers we have. Whether or not we play Amad a bit increased up the pitch…we’ll see. I do not need to sit right here and inform Fulham what our workforce goes to be. We’ll have a workforce that hopefully could be very aggressive and the followers who come to look at will see a Sunderland workforce combating for each ball.”
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The Verdict: Warning wanted
Given what occurred final time the 29-year-old was rushed again, it’s smart for Mowbray to be extra cautious this time round, particularly contemplating how very important a participant he has been for Sunderland this season.
Hailed as ‘dynamite’ by journalist Josh Bunting, the Englishman is ranked by Sofascore because the Black Cats’ joint-second finest performing participant within the Championship, averaging a match score of 7.03, after selecting up two objectives and 4 assists within the second tier.
Moreover, whereas development within the FA Cup is at all times the purpose, it is not going to be Sunderland’s fundamental focus this season, with promotion nonetheless an actual risk, at present two factors off the highest six, and Pritchard needs to be rested till Saturday’s house sport in opposition to Studying.
