3 Sunderland players that could replace Ellis Simms v Watford as Tony Mowbray provides update | OneFootball

Sunderland striker Ellis Simms could miss tomorrow’s Championship game against Watford after picking up a toe injury in Wednesday’s 3-0 win against Reading.

Simms limped off in the first half and Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray revealed today that it was unclear whether he’d be available for the game at Vicarage Road this weekend, in what was a positive update about his condition.

With Ross Stewart sidelined with injury as well, that would mean Sunderland may not have a recognised striker available for the game against the Hornets.

Mowbray’s side proved against Reading that they can have success without one, scoring all three of their goals after Simms had been replaced, but it remains to be seen who would take his spot in the starting XI.

Here, we’ve highlighted three of the Black Cats’ options…

Elliot Embleton

The obvious option were Simms to miss out would be to start Elliot Embleton, who replaced him against the Royals, and use the system that Sunderland were forced to shift into.

His arrival pushed Alex Pritchard into a false nine role with the substitute and Patrick Roberts on either side of the forward line.

That worked to great effect with Embleton assisting Roberts for the first two goals and impressing throughout.

Starting him and playing Pritchard as a false nine worked well against the Royals and could be the sensible call against Watford.

Amad Diallo

Though Pritchard performed well as a false nine in midweek, it could lessen his influence on the game in general and there are other options in the Sunderland squad.

Amad Diallo’s attributes are not dissimilar to those of Tyrhys Dolan, who was used through the middle regularly by Mowbray during his time at Blackburn Rovers.

Things haven’t quite clicked for the Manchester United loanee yet but with his pace and guile, he could prove a real handful for the Watford defenders.

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Leon Dajaku

We saw Alex Neil use Leon Dajaku through the middle against Roma in pre-season, which suggests the former Black Cats boss felt he had the attributes to do the job.

The German has found opportunities hard to come by this term but the absences of Simms and Stewart may just give him a chance in the starting XI.

Sunderland’s number seven has played as a centre-forward before for Union Berlin and for the Bayern Munich and Stuttgart age-group sides.