DEADLINE day signing Nazariy Rusyn has been handed the No.15 shirt after Sunderland confirmed the striker's arrival on Wearside.
The 24-year-old forward finalised his switch from Zorya Luhansk to Sunderland on the final day of the window but his arrival in the North East was delayed while he waited for a visa application and permission to enter the country. Rusyn's medical took place in Paris.
The Ukrainian forward then got the green light to enter the country and, according to reports in Ukraine, travelled to the North East at the end of last week. He has now now been unveiled as a Sunderland player in a string of social media posts by the club on Wednesday morning.
Welcome to Wearside, Nazariy Rusyn 😍🇺🇦#SAFC pic.twitter.com/6iyTU2Mkqu
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) September 13, 2023
Sunderland head coach Tony Mowbray will provide an update on Rusyn's fitness when he speaks to the media on Thursday afternoon. The forward missed Zorya Luhansk’s last three matches with a groin problem before joining Sunderland, but reports in his homeland last week claimed he'd shaken off the injury and had been able to resume training.
It's not clear at this stage whether Rusyn will be deemed ready to feature for Sunderland in Saturday's trip to Queens Park Rangers when Championship action resumes.
Despite the superb 5-0 hammering of Southampton last time out, Mowbray still has some selection decisions to make for the trip to Loftus Road. The head coach has previously said he expects Patrick Roberts to be available again after the winger missed the last two games with a hamstring injury.
After the Southampton game, Mowbray joked that he'd bumped into Roberts and told him he "can't change that team", but when the former Manchester City winger is fit, he tends to start for the Black Cats.
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Deadline day signing Mason Burstow is expected to be part of the Sunderland squad in west London. Adil Aouchiche and Timothee Pembele also arrived on the final day of the window, but will be eased into life in the Championship.
Mowbray's side are looking to extend their unbeaten run in the Championship to four games, with a significant update on the head coach's Sunderland contract situation having emerged over the international break.
Mowbray's initial deal was due to expire at the end of this season but it has now emerged that the head coach triggered a 12-month extension on the back of Sunderland's excellent sixth-placed finish last season.
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