SUNDERLAND are heavily involved in the battle for promotion, though manager Jack Ross says he still has to remind his players of the positives of their situation.

His team remains at the heart of the promotion race, though good results have been lacking lately and the goals dried up.

Saturday’s 1-1 draw at home to Luton Town, another team with Championship aspirations, means the Black Cats have now won only two of their last six league matches, not scoring more than a goal in each of those games.

With some favourable fixtures ahead of them, however, the Black Cats could be on the cusp of a resurgence.

Asked about staying positive, Ross said: “There are loads of different facets to that; one, you are playing for a big club, whether you like Sunderland, hate Sunderland, you can’t dispute this is a big club with an incredible fanbase an incredible infrastructure.

“That in itself is different to a lot of clubs and brings with it expectation, pressure and responsibility, not just on me but the players.

“The perception of us being in this league, how other clubs perceive visiting this stadium, supporters, how they view picking up a result against us. All these things and maybe the view from afar that only being third in the table is underachieving, that is for some people to judge on me whether that is the case or not.

“We are a good League One team. We are not a Premier League team that has been chucked into League One. These are all things that come into the mix.

“I have to be acutely aware of that and continue to make sure that I keep my players on that upbeat, they are good as a group.

“They need me to drag them along and it is up to me to say ‘don’t leave here with your chin on the floor, leave here knowing you are third in the league, a game in hand, right in amongst it with loads of the season to go’.”

Of the next ten league fixtures only one – Blackpool at home – is against a team in the current top half of the table.

Ross added: “They are in a good place. We are not seventh, eighth or ninth in the table, thinking can we scratch into the play-offs. We have given ourselves a chance.

“It is a balance between the positives, scoring in every league game, the way we play at times, but also recognising the areas we need to improve.

“That is how we approach training and the analysis we do. I have a group that buys into that, it is just reminding them of that constantly.”

Next up is a trip to Scunthorpe United, but at this stage Ross is unable to say if a new striker will be at the club by then.

“Nothing that I know that is imminent,” he said. “We are working hard on it, obviously.

“I have always been quite straight forward and when I knew somebody was coming in then I would say I expect it to be the case, but I can’t say anything definitely that somebody would be in for then.

“I would hope but nothing imminent at the moment.”

Against Luton he was without Josh Maja and was adamant that the young striker unavailable due to illness.

Aware that many onlookers would be suspicious of the in-demand player’s absence given the current uncertainty of his future, Ross said: “I know that there'll be 101 different theories as to why he wasn't involved.

"The good thing is I generally I tell the truth, so when I say he is ill, that is the case.

"I first got word on Friday night around 10 o'clock that he was unwell, he deteriorated overnight and didn't get any better this morning.

“The doctor went to see him mid-morning and he wasn't well, he had a stomach bug.

"One, Josh is absolutely not the kind of lad where that wouldn't be the case.

"Two, there is absolutely nothing happening with any club in terms of him leaving.

"Three, he just wasn't well.

"It is as straightforward as that."

Ross remains without George Honeyman, who has not played since Christmas due to injury, but the manager was unable to put a date on his return.

Asked what the captain’s chances are of being available this weekend at Scunthorpe, Ross said “Probably no more than 50/50.

“If you ask the medical team they would say no, if you asked me and George then maybe - that sums it up best!

“We have a mini break with no Gillingham game after next weekend.

“There is an opinion that we would be best served to wait until after that. I value George highly having him in my squad.

“We will just see how it unfolds this week regards him.”