ADAM JOHNSON will be part of the Sunderland squad which flies down to the south coast later today for Saturday’s Premier League trip to Bournemouth.

The £10m winger has not played since the opening day defeat at Leicester after he sustained a shoulder problem in training.

He has been able to maintain a decent level of fitness because the injury has allowed him to run and he was back involved in first team training this week.

“Adam we had in pre-season so it’s not as if we didn’t have him,” said Sunderland head coach Dick Advocaat. “The good thing is that when he was injured he could still work with his legs.

“He can change a game if we want to bring him on. Physical-wise he is not 100 per cent, but he can’t play at 100 per cent yet.”

Johnson’s return increases the options available, while striker Steven Fletcher is also back in contention after missing last Sunday’s defeat to Tottenham.

Advocaat did reveal, though, that Danny Graham will not travel, while Duncan Watmore will stay on Wearside after illness.

Advocaat said: “Adam Matthews is still injured, but we don’t have so many after that. Adam Johnson is the squad and we take 19 players with us to Bournemouth, including Johnson and DeAndre Yedlin.

“We have 19 players, one player will not go on the bench and we will try something to try to win the game. Fletcher is fit. The players not in the squad are Graham, Liam Bridcutt, Will Buckley, Watmore, who will probably play for the second team on Sunday.”

And Sunderland’s head coach is optimistic after some encouraging signs against Spurs, although he admits the team is still very much a work in progress particularly from an attacking viewpoint.

“Up front we still need everyone to know each other a bit better,” said Advocaat. “With Jermain Defoe, Jeremain Lens, Fabio Borini and Ola Toivonen, we are almost playing with four strikers and that can be too much unless they are all doing their defensive work.

“That needs to happen and if it doesn’t then a team like Spurs can make it difficult for you. I can only find out during games how to develop the squad.”