TONY MOWBRAY has admitted he is not aware of any change to Ross Stewart’s contractual situation, despite having previously expressed a hope that the striker was on the verge of signing a new deal.

Stewart remains sidelined with a long-term Achilles injury that will rule him out of the remainder of the season, but talks over his contract have continued during his lay-off.

Sunderland have triggered the clause in his current deal that allows them to extend his contract by another 12 months to the summer of 2024, but ideally the Black Cats would like the security of tying the Scotland international down to a new long-term arrangement.

“I don’t have the conversations with his advisors,” said Mowbray, ahead of tomorrow night’s home game with Huddersfield Town. “I see Ross around the building and can ask if there’s any news, but generally there isn’t.

“I think Ross is just focused on his rehab and trying to get himself fit for pre-season or around pre-season time.”

While Sunderland remain in the play-off hunt with four games of the season remaining, there is no doubt that Stewart’s absence since January has been a huge blow.

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It was only earlier this month that Amad Diallo replaced Stewart as the Black Cats’ leading scorer, and with Ellis Simms having been recalled to Everton in the January window, Sunderland have been forced to operate without a natural number nine for the bulk of the second half of the campaign.

Huddersfield boss Neil Warnock is certainly relieved Stewart will not be leading the line at the Stadium of Light tomorrow, having pushed to try to sign the 26-year-old during his time in charge of Middlesbrough.

“They have played most of the season without the best striker in the league, which anybody would miss in Stewart,” said Warnock, whose Huddersfield side head into tomorrow’s game one point clear of the bottom three.

“I have loved him for years and I remember going to watch (Charlie) Wyke up there and coming away saying that we needed to sign Stewart, but they never gave me the money up there at Middlesbrough!

“I’m sure if he was back, they’d already be in the play-offs. But they have been ever so well with a young team and whenever I have watched them, they have been quite exciting.”