SAM ALLARDYCE'S strange pre-season with Sunderland takes a further twist today when he is due in court to give evidence in a fraud case.

The Black Cats players had yesterday off, but will be back at the Academy of Light this morning ahead of tomorrow's friendly at North-East neighbours Hartlepool United.

Allardyce, who missed a large chunk of Sunderland's warm weather camp in Austria last week after heading home for a formal interview for the England job, is unlikely to be at the training ground because he is due at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

The 61-year-old is expected to give evidence against businessman Stephen Ackerman, who allegedly dwindled thousands of pounds out of Allardyce and a number of West Ham players in a luxury hamper con during his time in charge at Upton Park.

Allardyce and a number of his West Ham players were allegedly lured into buying hampers for Christmas which were never delivered, before using their bank card details to spend thousands of pounds.

It is another distraction for Allardyce at a time when he is trying to focus on the task at hand at club level having impressed Football Association chiefs in an interview for the England job a week ago.

The Black Cats have grown increasingly frustrated with the length of time it has taken the FA to decide whether Allardyce is the man they want to lead the country to the next World Cup.

Sunderland owner Ellis Short is understood to have considered the options in case Allardyce is offered the England role, with former Manchester United and Everton manager David Moyes the leading contender.

Burnley’s Sean Dyche and another former Everton manager, Roberto Martinez, have also been linked, but Moyes is seen as the man most suited to slotting in and trying to build on the good work started by Allardyce.

In the meantime Allardyce, the clear frontrunner to succeed Roy Hodgson, is still in charge of Sunderland’s first team preparations for the new Premier League season.

Allardyce is expected to be involved at Victoria Park tomorrow night.

He left the training base in Austria eight days ago ahead of his interview at the Cheshire home of the FA’s vice-chairman David Gill, who is known to be a big supporter of handing him the national team role.

Club officials have maintained throughout the uncertainty surrounding his future that Allardyce has continued to work on transfer business since deciding to stay in the North-East rather than fly back to join up with his players.

But when Sunderland’s squad trains at the Academy of Light there will still be no new additions to a squad which did well to climb clear of relegation in the end last season.

Since then Steven Fletcher, Danny Graham and Wes Brown have led the departures, while Emanuele Giaccherini has completed a £1.5m move to Napoli after his successful loan with Bologna. Liam Bridcutt, who was on loan last season at Leeds, is also unlikely to be around for long and Aston Villa are interested.

But it is the incoming deals which have been the greater concern. While Allardyce successfully added good players during the winter transfer window, he was desperate to add further new recruits early in the summer.

Sunderland have spent a considerable amount of time waiting for West Ham to cash in on Diafra Sakho but that has not happened so far, while Chelsea have now been credited with an interest in another target, Swansea’s Andre Ayew.

Even if West Ham do accept the latest offer from Sunderland, however, it will be down to the club to persuade Sakho that his future lies with them despite Allardyce’s uncertain position.

The wait for the FA to make a decision has not helped and Sunderland’s hierarchy is not being offered any guidance as to when a decision will be made.

It has been widely reported that the three-man selection panel made up of Gill, technical director Dan Ashworth and chief executive Martin Glenn are looking to have someone in place by next week.

That would allow more time to meet up with Bournemouth’s Eddie Howe, who is seen not only as a contender for the job on his own but also an option to work alongside front-man Allardyce.

Former Sunderland boss Steve Bruce and USA boss Jurgen Klinsmann are two others still expected to have discussions with the FA this week.