Sunderland boss Jack Ross has revealed that Marc McNulty has picked up a hamstring injury which will be assessed in the coming days.

The summer signing has established himself as the first-choice forward for the Black Cats since arriving from Reading and played the full 90 minute in all three games this season, scoring once.

So, it was no surprise to see the 26-year-old lead the line today against Portsmouth. However, he was forced off early into the second half of the 2-1 win.

And, Ross gave an update on the situation, telling the Sunderland Echo that he is hopeful McNulty won't be out for the long-term but the chances are that he will miss the trip to Rochdale in the week.

"It is a hamstring injury. I don’t think it is overly serious but we have a quick turnaround given the crazy nature of the fixture schedule so early in the season. So we will just see how he is. It is probably unlikely it will settle down in time for Tuesday but we’ll see how he is tomorrow morning."

The Verdict

This update should be seen as positive for Sunderland as they would have feared a lot worse when they saw McNulty go off today.

Of course, it's far from ideal that he is going to miss the game at Rochdale as McNulty is a main player for the Black Cats but they do have a lot of proven players to come in.

It's now down to those on the fringes to take the opportunity that will come their way in the coming games and Ross will be challenging the players to do that.

As for McNulty, the length of his absence will be determined in the coming days.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.