TONY Mowbray would welcome a Sunderland loan return for Leeds United forward Joe Gelhardt next season, but admits a lot would need to fall into place for that to become a possibility.

Leeds' plans for the 20-year-old are not yet clear, with the Premier League side having changed manager since they sanctioned the loan exit of Gelhardt in January.

Javi Gracia, or whoever is in charge for the start of season, is likely to want a closer look at Gelhardt in the summer before deciding the best course of action for the forward, while the division in which Leeds will be playing will also be a major determining factor.

If Leeds stay up, they must decide whether Gelhardt is ready for regular football or better served having another spell out on loan, whereas if they get relegated the forward is almost certain to be part of the plans at Elland Road.

Of course, there remains the possibility that Leeds and Sunderland will swap divisions this season. Whatever happens, Gelhardt's future is in Leeds' hands - but Sunderland will be watching closely.

"If it was a possibility (to bring Gelhardt back) it's something...but there are a lot of things in the way," said Mowbray.

"I would assume that young Gelhardt would want to go back to his parent club, wherever they're going, and play games, get a feel, the kid doesn't even know what league they're going to be in at this moment when you look at the bottom of the Premier League.

"We all like him. For next year, that's Leeds' call and the player's call, but I've enjoyed working with him because as we all see, there have been days when it hasn't gone to plan for him, but he's still worked and chased and fought and you can never knock a player who does that for you."

In the here and now and on the pitch Mowbray is frustrated for Gelhardt, with the forward hitting form just as the season is coming to an end.

Of course, that could yet play in Sunderland's favour, with the Black Cats facing two huge games against Watford and Preston, knowing two wins will take them into the play-offs.

But Mowbray knows Sunderland haven't seen the very best of Gelhardt on a regular basis since his January, through no fault of the youngster. Ross Stewart's season-ending injury in January and and the Everton recall of Ellis Simms earlier that month meant Sunderland went into the second half of the season without a recognised striker, forcing Mowbray to play Gelhardt in a different role to what he initially envisaged.

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Mowbray admitted that Gelhardt suffered something of a crisis of confidence at one stage of his loan spell on Wearside, but never has he let his head drop.  And he's now playing as well as he's played since joining in the winter window.

He scored a brilliant goal in the home draw with Huddersfield and led the line superbly at West Brom last time out.

"As I see the daffodils coming in my garden, I see Joffy loving his football again, thinking he's going to score goals," said Mowbray.

"It's almost a shame the season only has a couple of games to go.

"Whether he's playing amazingly well or not so well, he works his socks off for the team. He runs and chases and fights and puts his body in. What an attribute to have, somebody who is a grafter."