Sunderland boss Alex Neil has admitted that Nathan Broadhead is a major doubt for the play-off games against Sheffield Wednesday.

The forward has had terrible luck with injury this season, with fitness problems restricting the on-loan Everton man to just 20 appearances.

Broadhead has shown his quality in that period, scoring ten goals, with five of those coming in the past seven games, including the winner against Morecambe yesterday.

However, the 24-year-old was forced off just 15 minutes after scoring, and Neil told the Northern Echo that he had to manage Ross Stewart's minutes due to the lack of options up top.

"The worry we've got now is we've finished the game with no centre-forward on the pitch. That's always a worry. I brought Stewart off because I knew the scores elsewhere. He’s literally (our only striker)…I don't need to say anything else, do I?"

The Black Cats needed a result to guarantee a top six finish, and they will now take on the Owls in what promises to be a brilliant semi-final clash, with the first leg at the Stadium of Light on Friday.

The verdict

This was undoubtedly the major blow for Sunderland yesterday and you have to feel sorry for Broadhead if he has to miss the play-offs because he has been in fine form.

The lack of depth up front has been a concern for the Black Cats since Jermain Defoe retired and they are now totally reliant on Stewart remaining fit.

But, there's still enough quality in the Sunderland side to get a result against Wednesday, even if it's going to be a real test for them.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.