CONNOR WICKHAM will be available to lead the line for Sunderland on Saturday, with fellow striker Steven Fletcher also set to be back in the squad to face Swansea City.

Wickham joined Fletcher on the injury list when he picked up a knock in training on Monday, meaning Jozy Altidore and the previously out-of-favour Danny Graham were the only recognised strikers available for Tuesday’s Capital One Cup game with Stoke City.

Altidore scored his first goal of the season as the Black Cats lost 2-1 to the Potters, but given that he had previously gone 30 matches without finding the back of the net, there would be understandable concern if he was forced to lead the line again when Sunderland return to Premier League action at the weekend.

Thankfully, that should not be the case, with Wickham expected to return to full training today and Fletcher also due to be available for the first time since he was dropped for the 2-2 draw with Tottenham earlier this month.

Poyet could move Wickham to the wing to accommodate both strikers, as was the case in the opening three weeks of the season, but it is more likely that Fletcher will start on the bench with Adam Johnson and Will Buckley filling the wide positions.

Sebastian Coates is not available to face Swansea after a first-half problem forced him to cut short his debut on Tuesday night.

“We have a few injuries for the first time in the season,” said Poyet. “Steven Fletcher is out, and Connor Wickham also pulled out (of the Swansea squad) on (Tuesday) morning. It is nothing serious, but it is another player we lost at the front and we hope we can recover and be stronger on Saturday.

“I think that apart from Sebastian, the rest will be back if everything goes alright. Let’s hope we can have as many players as possible available for the next game.”

Altidore produced one of his better performances on Tuesday evening, even if his 17th-minute opener proved in vain as two goals from Marc Muniesa ensured Sunderland would not be repeating their Capital One Cup heroics from last season.

There was very little to choose between the sides in a hard-fought third-round tie, but Muniesa was clinical when required while Sunderland spurned a handful of half-chances that might have made things very different had they gone in.

Last season’s failure to convert chances was a key factor in the Black Cats’ struggles at the foot of the table, and Altidore admits Tuesday’s game exhibited some worrying trends.

“I didn’t think we deserved to lose and I don’t think we played that badly, but this has haunted us the whole of last season and a bit this year,” said the American.

“Games we should win, we’re not winning. It’s something that we need to address now, or else it’s inevitable that what happened last season, and the pressure, will come back.

“If it’s close and you’re going to lose the game, you want to look back and be applauding the other team for a great strike. We’re still losing games where we’re leaving ourselves short.”