Sunderland manager Alex Neil has insisted that the club will take a closer look at Nathan Broadhead's progress from injury ahead of Saturday's showdown with Lincoln City.
Broadhead initially sustained a serious hamstring injury during the Black Cats' defeat to Arsenal in the League Cup last year.
After being forced to watch on from the sidelines for a considerable period, the forward started for Sunderland in their meeting with Charlton Athletic earlier this month.
Broadhead reported stiffness in his hamstring following this fixture and thus was unavailable for selection yesterday.
In the absence of the 23-year-old, Sunderland managed to seal all three points in their showdown with Crewe Alexandra at the Stadium of Light.
Dan Neil gave his side the lead in the 84th minute of this fixture as he fired a superb effort into the top corner from the edge of the area.
Patrick Roberts then added a second for his side in the closing stages of the game as he slotted past Crewe goalkeeper Dave Richards.
Following Sunderland's latest triumph in League One, Neil shared an injury update on Broadhead.
Speaking to the Sunderland Echo about the forward, Neil said: "It's not a massive issue.
"We were disappointed he missed out, because him and Alex [Pritchard] have been very good since I've been here and even before that.
"It was really pleasing to be able to get the win without them, as well. I'm not sure how he'll be, we just need to wait and see next week."
The Verdict
When you consider that players have to be cautious when it comes to hamstring issues, it is hardly a surprise that Sunderland opted against taking a risk on Broadhead during their clashes with Fleetwood Town and Crewe.
The Black Cats will need the forward to be firing on all cylinders when he is fit enough to feature again.
Broadhead has already demonstrated this season that he is capable of competing in League One as he has scored five goals at this level for Sunderland.
By regularly adding to this total in the club's remaining fixtures, Broadhead could potentially play a major role in his side's push for promotion via the play-offs.