SUNDERLAND can have Birmingham City's Clinton Morrison but they are going to have to wait until next summer.

And that presents a major problem for the Black Cats who are searching for a new striker now in a bid to steer their promotion push back on track.

Manager Mick McCarthy, who has given up hope of luring Huddersfield's Jon Stead to Wearside, recently inquired about the possibility of taking Morrison on loan.

However, Blues boss Steve Bruce is reluctant to allow the Republic of Ireland international to leave St Andrews for the time being because he wants competition for places up front.

But Birmingham have confirmed they are already lining up a double swoop next summer by trying to persuade Celtic to part with star strikers Henrik Larsson and John Hartson.

"Steve Bruce has a high regard for both players and who wouldn't want strikers like that," said chairman David Gold.

"Henrik is a fantastic player with a scoring record that is second to none. I think you can take it there is every chance we will be coming after him come the end of the season."

The capture of either player is likely to spell the end for Morrison at Birmingham, with McCarthy an admirer from his days in charge of the Irish.

Morrison's availability at the end of the season will alert the Sunderland boss, provided the board can come up with some transfer funds.

But it will be of little benefit to McCarthy now, as he continues to look for the solution to his side's goalscoring problems.

Sunderland played with three up front at West Ham on Saturday but, despite scoring two goals, it was winger John Oster and midfielder Jason McAteer who found the net.

First choice strikers Kevin Kyle and Marcus Stewart have scored just twice between them in Sunderland's last ten games, while Michael Proctor and Tommy Smith are yet to open their accounts this season.

McCarthy has previously conceded he is continually monitoring the transfer market in attempts to bring in a fresh face to bolster his attacking options.

Meanwhile, striker Stewart has called for Sunderland to take maximum points from their next two home matches.

Sunderland have won just one of their last ten matches, dropping out of the Division One play-off places in the process.

And Stewart insists that victories from matches with Wimbledon, this Saturday, and Bradford, on Boxing Day, are a must if they are to keep their eyes on a return to the Premiership.

"We have to take six points from the two games," said Stewart, who knows full-back Julio Arca misses both games through suspension. "I don't think there is any doubt about that.

"That has to be the target because draws won't get us back up the table.

"I'm disappointed to be in this position in the league after half the season. After losing the first two games we got our act together and we learnt there's no-one to be afraid of.

"But the fact is that we have not scored enough goals in the last two months and everyone shares the responsibility on that."

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