Kevin Phillips has given his reaction to some Sunderland injury news that has now emerged on Alex Pritchard.

The Lowdown: Back in training

As cited by The Chronicle, Alex Neil has revealed that Pritchard will be back in training this week, after missing their last three games in League One through injury.

Their next match after the international break is at home to Gillingham on April 2nd, and the former Norwich City and Preston North End manager will be praying that he will now be available.

The Latest: Phillips reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, former striker at the Stadium of Light Phillips has now given his reaction to the news, claiming that it is a 'huge boost' for the Wearside club:

“Pritchard has been the player who has stepped up to the plate this season.

“He has put in some amazing performances.

“He clearly is one of their high-profile players. You would probably say him and Aiden McGeady are the two who stand out.

“It is not ideal that he is missing games at this stage of the season. Sunderland need to win football matches and they could do with a creative player like him on the pitch. We saw that at the weekend.

“It’s not ideal but it’s great that he will be back soon. It will be a huge boost when he’s back in training.”

The Verdict: Needed

The return of Pritchard to training, and eventually to first-team action, is certainly needed for the run-in to the end of the season.

The attacking midfielder has contributed four goals and seven assists in the league, with only Dan Neil being able to match his total for the latter for the Black Cats (WhoScored).

Pritchard also ranks highly among his teammates in terms of average shots and key passes per game, and nobody else can match him for crosses and through balls (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, having him back will no doubt lift both the crowd and squad as they welcome him back to the stadium.

In other news, find out what 'excellent' SAFC update James Hunter is now buzzing over here!