SUNDERLAND will again be without Pierre Ekwah and Bradley Dack at Sheffield Wednesday on Friday night - but the duo are closing in on a return to action.

Dack has missed the last three games for Tony Mowbray's side with a hamstring problem, while Pierre Ekwah has sat out the last two with a dead leg and although both are making good progress, Mowbray doesn't want to risk bringing either player back too early.

They could both feature when Watford head for the Stadium of Light next Wednesday, but won't be involved on Friday night as Sunderland look to bounce back from Sunday's defeat at Cardiff City against the troubled Owls, who are rock bottom of the Championship and still looking for their first win this season.

"I don't think either of them are going to make it, though not because they're miles away," said Mowbray of Ekwah and Dack.

"It's just that we're trying to make sure they're right so they don't break down when they come back, that's with Bradley specifically because we know that hamstring injuries are dangerous ones that can repeat.

"With Pierre, we just have to accept that he's had a really bad hematoma and dead leg. It was just unfortunate that he took that knock in exactly the same place which has been restrictive to his movement.

"There's little chance he's going to be free flowing by Friday night. Next Wednesday? I'm not sure at this point, it's a day by day thing. It's frustrating because it does have a knock on, we have so many attacking midfielders and I'd like to be able to rotate and at the moment we're just not quite able to do that."

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Summer signing Eliezer Mayenda is stepping up his recovery from the injury he suffered the day after joining the club and is now back in training, but is not yet ready for first team action.

Despite Sheffield Wednesday's rotten start to the season, Mowbray has warned his side not to underestimate Friday's hosts, whose boss Xisco Munoz is under pressure and fighting for his job.

"Sheffield Wednesday are fighting for every point," said Sunderland's boss.

"We have to be professional and impose our style of play on the game, but be mindful of the threats they carry.

"We have to take the positives out of last weekend. It's a game of fine margins and my message to the players is to keep going."

Mowbray was delighted to hand Nazariy Rusyn his debut from the bench against Cardiff last weekend and says the Ukrainian striker will get more opportunities in the coming weeks, but he's likely to have to settle for a spot on the bench on Friday night. Patrick Roberts is pushing for a start after having to settle for a place on the bench in the last three games.