JACK ROSS’ biggest blow ahead of the transfer window closing at 5pm on Thursday is from Sunderland’s treatment room rather on the signing front.

While Ross has made huge progress in terms of changing the face of the squad this summer, he also knows he can still make further additions once the deadline passes.

The Sunderland manager is still considering options on the loan front, knowing he can bring players in on season-long or half-season deals temporarily until August 31 at 5pm.

That means it will not be the end of the world for Ross when the actual window closes because he knows there will still be time to fill holes in his squad.

He has been monitoring the fitness of Jerome Sinclair and Donald Love since Saturday’s game ended with them both suffering injuries.

It is a real blow at the start of the season for Sunderland to learn Sinclair, on his first appearance for the club, will be missing for four to six weeks with hamstring trouble picked up in the win over Charlton.

Love is also not going to play in August because he has been told it will be four weeks before he has recovered from ankle ligament damage picked up in the same game.

Ross does have options to cover for Love but there is a real shortage in the attacking third, with Charlie Wyke and Duncan Watmore also still some time away from competing for a place in the team.

Sunderland are in talks with Hull City aimed at letting midfielder Lee Cattermole leave the Stadium of Light, but it now looks like Bryan Oviedo could be staying on Wearside.

Oviedo, after playing for Costa Rica at the World Cup, had looked like he would be leaving this summer because he had expressed a wish too and Sunderland were happy for him to go.

But he has shown a good attitude since returning to the club and he was one of Sunderland’s best players after emerging from the bench to face Charlton. Now Ross is open to the idea of keeping him and using him in the promotion push.

There will be no returns for Papy Djilobodji nor Didier Ndong, however. Neither have returned to Sunderland over pre-season and talks continue aimed at seeing the two leave.

It is not the case, though, that they will have to stay on the Sunderland pay-roll until January if they are not moved on before the summer window closes. They are interesting foreign clubs and will be allowed to leave for a different country provided that country’s window remains open.

Ross said: “We have issues with Papy and Didier that are ongoing. Those are quite far away from me at the moment, I have not even had to deal with them.

“I would imagine if there are any more outs then those two would be a couple of them. There is ongoing dialogues with them, if they don’t show up then it gives an indication of where they might be in their mind. That’s been the case of where we might be too.”

Sunderland are still being heavily linked with Rangers midfielder Greg Docherty. The 21-year-old is being allowed to leave following Steven Gerrard’s arrival. He could go on loan but there is also a £675,000 fee on him.

Sunderland will be heading to Luton on Saturday aiming to build on the opening weekend win over Charlton and Ross is expected to deliver a transfer update in his pre-match press conference on deadline day.

The club’s new black away kit is now available to order online. Orders placed before 11am on Thursday morning are guaranteed to be delivered on Friday (to UK mainland addresses only). Supporters can order at www.safcstore.com.