DENNIS CIRKIN will be on Sunderland’s substitutes’ bench for tomorrow night’s home game with Blackpool, but Ellis Simms remains “two or three weeks” away from a first-team return.

Cirkin has recovered from the hamstring injury sustained in last month’s Tees-Wear derby defeat to Middlesbrough, but while he trained in the latter half of last week, he was not selected in the squad for Saturday’s goalless draw with Preston.

He will return to the matchday squad for tomorrow’s meeting with Blackpool, although the fine form of Aji Alese, who has replaced him at left-back, means he will only be on the bench.

Sunderland head coach Tony Mowbray said: “Dennis is ready, he'll be on the bench tomorrow night, I think.

“He’s over his injury, I had a good chat with him and together we just felt there was no need to risk it at the weekend, it gave him extra time to train.

“We think that was the best way to do it. He feels ready, and I expect to see him on the team sheet tomorrow.” 

Simms will not be involved against Blackpool, with the loanee still sidelined with the toe injury that forced him off during the first half of last month’s win at Reading.

The striker’s rehabilitation is being managed in conjunction with his parent club, Everton, with Mowbray conceding he remains at least a fortnight away from a return to action.

The Black Cats boss said: “Ellis’ situation won’t be changing over the next week or two, I don’t think. I’m hoping I’ll surprise you all in two or three weeks by saying Ellis is back training and you might see him on the bench, but at the moment, that’s not the case.

“We have to be cautious with him. If you picture the injury, it’s his big toe, it’s a ligament and it needs some time to settle down. I don’t think it’s a case of ‘strap it up, lock the bottom half of his foot solid, and just put it in a boot’.

“If it was a cup final, the last day of the season, and we needed to win, we’d probably play him. But that’s not the case. Give him the time he needs, a couple of weeks, and hopefully we’ll have some news.”