Duncan Watmore is to make his eagerly anticipated return to action for Sunderland as he is set to feature for the under 23's on Monday evening against Middlesbrough.

Watmore is yet to feature in a competitive game in over year after suffering a long-term knee injury, but Sunderland fans will be delighted to see him return to action on Monday.

Sunderland are four points adrift of Portsmouth in the League One table and Jack Ross will be keen for his side to close the gap on the league-leaders as quickly as possible heading into the festive period.

The Sunderland boss revealed in a recent interview with the Sunderland Echo, that Watmore is set to make his return to action in the near future.

"He’s scheduled to play in an Under-23 game against Middlesbrough and that will be another significant step forward for him.

"Thereafter the U23s have another two games after that and the Checkatrade will then be around that time.

Many supporters will be hoping to have Watmore available for selection in the near future, so that he can play his part in their promotion push this season.

Watmore has already shown that he can be a crucial player to have in the Sunderland squad in this years campaign, having made 25 appearances when the Black Cats were in the Premier League in the 2015/2016 season.

The Verdict: 

The news of Watmore's return to competitive action will be a huge boost for Jack Ross' side going forward this season.

The 24-year-old has been out of action for a lengthy period of time and he will be keen to prove a point to Ross and stake a claim for a regular starting spot when he returns to action for the Sunderland first-team.

If Watmore can rediscover the form he has shown in previous seasons, then Jack Ross could well be answering some calls about the availability of the midfielder who will play a crucial part in their promotion push this season as they target an immediate return to the Championship.