SUNDERLAND have received a triple boost with the news that Corry Evans, Dennis Cirkin and Denver Hume are all nearing full fitness.

All three players were involved in training this morning at the Academy of Light as they progress faster than expected from their respective injuries.

While the Black Cats have recently had an upturn in form, injuries have continued to hamper them all season with the likes of Lynden Gooch, Niall Huggins and Aiden McGeady all taking spells out of the matchday squad but today’s news will lighten the load on the squad.

The trio won’t make it for this weekend’s trip to Ipswich Town but the club are hopeful they will come back ahead of schedule.

Manager Lee Johnson said: “I suppose a couple of players are back in tentatively so we can control the chaos as much as possible.

“That’s Corry Evans and Dennis Cirkin but Denver Hume is not a million miles away now. He’s had three or four days full training, he’s looked good. He looks like he’s moving well, he’s confident and comfortable on the ankle. I expect him to come in sooner rather than later.”

While Evans and Cirkin are recovering ahead of schedule, Johnson admitted they aren’t out of the woods yet and there are a few things to monitor in their progress.

He added: “Corry, at the moment, just keeps getting this little feeling on his quad and every time his leg contracts to extreme levels, he’s still feeling it a little bit. It’s just a couple of days off the pace with him.

“Dennis Cirkin is doing really well. Really that one is a conversation. With a double hernia, you’re good to go pretty quickly when you are good to go so it’s just whether he can cope with striking a ball full tilt and he’s getting up to that.

“I’d say he’s probably 90 per cent of the way there for a full recovery but very positive.”

Sunderland have won four out of their last six League One games to propel them up to third in the division while managerless Ipswich are supplanted in midtable in 12th.