THEY won't play again before the end of the season, but Ross Stewart and Corry Evans still have starring roles behind the scenes at Sunderland.

Sunderland's star striker and captain were both ruled out for the campaign with serious injuries but are undergoing their rehab at the Academy of Light, where their presence is a huge lift, says Tony Mowbray.

Mowbray would obviously love to have their pair available on the pitch but says the pair are equally as important off it.

"They're good around the dressing room and the building," said Mowbray.

"They're in good form. It's important that they're here doing their rehab because they're important for our dressing room.

"You know we have a lot of young, inexperienced players and sometimes they need a gee-up after a defeat because results can affect belief and confidence, so they need some experienced players to be there for them to tell them what they're doing right and wrong rather than the old bloke who is always shouting at them and telling them what they need to be doing better.

"It's better coming from their peers in the dressing room and telling them they have to do this or that better or saying they were really good at this. It's good coming from the skipper or the main striker or the experienced players. It's good that they're around."

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Evans recently agreed a new contract extension at Sunderland and Mowbray is hoping the Black Cats will also tie Stewart down to a longer term deal. Stewart's contract is due to expire at the end of this season but the club have the option of exercising a year-long extension.

Sunderland and Stewart have been in negotiations for a new longer term deal for months and Mowbray is hoping terms can be agreed with his star striker, who scored 11 goals in 15 appearances this season and has been sorely missed since suffering his season ending injury in the FA Cup tie at Fulham.

With Stewart missing and Joe Gelhardt the only recognised striker on the club's books, the Black Cats have needed other forward players to step-up - and Patrick Roberts has done exactly that.

Mowbray said: "I told you last week, I said to Patrick, 'you have to break world records today' (at Norwich) and he did, he's running over 11,000 metres now.

"That's the standard now, he can't let it slip. He's set his own standards and he has to keep doing it, because he's amazing with the ball at his feet. If he does the running and the work and the graft for the team, it helps the team win football matches, and he'll enjoy it more."