DUNCAN WATMORE is back in full training and could be fit to make a first-team return for Sunderland in a couple of weeks’ time.

Watmore damaged his knee ligaments last December and missed the whole of the second half of last season as the Black Cats tumbled out of the top-flight.

He was not involved in pre-season, but has spent the last week-and-a-half training with the rest of Sunderland’s senior squad.

He will not be considered for the squad for Saturday’s Championship game with Sheffield United, but has been pencilled in for an appearance in next weekend’s Under-23s game with Manchester City.

If he comes through that without a problem, he could be considered for the following weekend’s league game at Hull City.

Sunderland boss Simon Grayson said: “Duncan has trained fully with us now for about ten days, and the outline now is that if he gets through next week, he’ll be involved with the Under-23 game next week.

“He’s doing everything that everyone else is doing, which is good, but we have to be so careful because it’s easy to have a recurrence with these injuries. If we have to lose him for the next couple of weeks, then so be it.

“He’ll be like a new player for us with his enthusiasm, quality and how he can carry the ball up the pitch. He’ll be like a £10m signing potentially, that’s the level he was at before with everyone talking about him. He’s a flexible player and it’ll be nice to have him back.”

Paddy McNair is further behind Watmore in his recuperation from his own ligament injury, having suffered a setback during pre-season, but the Northern Irishman is also making good progress and is not too far away from a senior return.

Grayson said: “Paddy is doing some conditioning work, but he’s slightly behind Duncan so he’s not back on the grass yet. He’s slightly slower because he had that setback. It’ll be nice to have him back as well.

“They’ll be two key players in the squad, and (Josh) Maja is just a couple of weeks away after his operation. As soon as they come back, then we have some really good options.”