Sunderland have another player concern in Jewison Bennette ahead of their game at home to Preston North End in the Championship on Saturday afternoon.

The Lowdown: Simms and Ba injuries

Speaking to the media in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match, Tony Mowbray confirmed (via The Chronicle) that Ellis Simms has been ruled out, as he has failed to recover from an injury to his big toe that he picked up before the international break.

Abdoullah Ba is also a doubt after picking up a dead leg while on international duty with France's U20 team, while Mowbray seemingly has some concerns over Bennette's fitness...

The Latest: Bennette concern

On Thursday morning, Mowbray also appeared to raise some concerns over Bennette's fitness (via The Chronicle), claiming that his involvement against Preston will depend on how he feels after making the long trip from South Korea, as he was playing against them for Costa Rica during the international break:

"It depends on Jewi really, as to where he is at.

"He's been in South Korea and the lines of communication haven't been great. I don't think he will be training today, but he will definitely be in training tomorrow."

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

Mowbray and the team will be having their fingers crossed that Bennette can play a part against Preston, after potentially suffering some jet lag coming back from South Korea and also missing the first three games after arriving at the club.

The 18-year-old starred for Costa Rica in a 2-2 draw, grabbing both goals for his country before being substituted off midway through the second half (SofaScore).

Bennette has already opened his Black Cats account with a goal last time out against Watford, and supporters will no doubt want to see more from their new signing.