JACK ROSS will continue to tread carefully with Duncan Watmore, even though the Sunderland winger is champing at the bit to step up his return to senior action.

Watmore made his first league appearance for almost 13 months when he came off the bench for the final six minutes of Saturday’s 2-1 win over Bristol Rovers, having successfully completed his recovery from last autumn’s cruciate ligament surgery.

The 24-year-old had previously featured in both the FA Cup and Checkatrade Trophy, but Saturday’s appearance in a League One game represented another important step on his comeback trail.

It will not be long before he is ready to start a league game, and with Sunderland due to kick off a run of four matches in 11 days when they travel to league leaders Portsmouth on Saturday, there is bound to be a temptation to increase his workload markedly over the festive period.

Ross is determined to resist the urge to ask too much, too soon, though, insisting Watmore’s long-term availability is much more important than securing any short-term benefits.

“It’s a question of how we use him during this busy period, and whether we use him in all the games because we’ve got to look at how his body is after each game,” said the Sunderland boss, who watched his side close to within five points of the League One summit at the weekend. “We’ve done that so far, and the great thing now is he trusts what I’ve said to him.

“We’ve never changed our mind with him because he did well during the week, and I thought on Saturday he did well, which is great for him psychologically.”

Ross was happy with Watmore’s cameo appearance against Bristol Rovers, although he could detect signs of understandable fatigue even though the former England Under-21 international only came on in the closing stages of the game.

“It’s been a big couple of weeks for him, and I don’t think that should be forgotten,” he said. “The best part of two years out of the game is a long time, and you saw what he gives us again on Saturday.

“You can see it’s going to take time for him because he was probably catching his breath in the ten or 15-minute spell he had on the park because it’s so different. Nothing can replicate playing or prepare you for it, and league actions are different because of the intensity of it.”

That intensity will ratchet up another couple of gears when Sunderland travel to Fratton Park on Saturday, with Portsmouth boasting a four-point lead at the top of the table despite being held to a 1-1 draw at Barnsley at the weekend.

Kenny Jackett’s side have only suffered two league defeats all season, and with the sold-out signs expected to be in evidence at Fratton Park on Saturday for the first time in more than four years, Ross is looking forward to what should be an atmospheric occasion.

First though, he gets a chance to work with his squad, with the Black Cats finding themselves without a midweek game for the first time for four weeks.

“It’s good for everybody – players, staff – to have a wee breather for the next couple of days,” said Ross. “Then it’s a great game for us.

“It’s unusual for us to go to such a big stadium and it will be a full house. I’m excited about it, and the players will be as well, but we’ll enjoy the brief respite.”

Meanwhile, Sunderland officials have announced they will be opening the Premier Concourse at the Stadium of Light for the Boxing Day game with Bradford City.

With 36,000 tickets having already been sold, the Black Cats are on track to break the modern-day record for the biggest crowd in League One which is currently the 38,256 set by Leeds United in 2008.