Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray has said that there is currently ‘no point’ in Jack Diamond returning to the Championship club.

The Lowdown: Diamond joins Lincoln

The forward joined Lincoln City on a season-long loan over the summer where he’s had an impressive start, making six goal contributions in 12 games, though a sighting at the Academy of Light sparked rumours that an early return could be on the cards.

The 22-year-old had already played for the Black Cats in the EFL Cup first round meaning that he couldn’t represent the Imps in the same tournament, which resulted in him coming back to the northeast for a day.

The Latest: Mowbray’s update

Speaking to the Sunderland Echo, Mowbray delivered an update on Diamond’s immediate future and appeared to shut down any chance of him returning ahead of schedule in January. He said:

“It was only one day because he was cup-tied and didn’t play in the FA Cup for them so he came and trained. That was all. It was nothing other than that.

“He looked alright to me. We haven’t discussed what is happening with him and the bottom line is there’s no point him coming back if he doesn’t get in the team.”

The Verdict: Correct decision

Whilst Diamond has been labelled ‘dangerous’ by Josh Bunting, taking the decision to allow him to remain at Lincoln appears to be the right one.

The Wearside outfit should have the likes of Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms back at their disposal upon the return of domestic action so you'd expect the winger would be given very limited opportunities.

Should Diamond continue to excel at the LNER Stadium, his return would be much more welcomed next summer where he can then be seriously pushing for a first-team place.