Sunderland boss Jack Ross has admitted that it's very tough for him to plan for the immediate future as he doesn't know which players will be at the club.

After back-to-back relegations, several players are expected to leave the Wearside club this summer as Sunderland look to cut costs and rebuild.

However, despite the major changes, there's no doubt Ross will be under pressure to deliver promotion at the first attempt.

And, he told the Sunderland Echo that the uncertainty surrounding the players isn't ideal.

"There are players who would probably prefer their futures elsewhere but equally there are some who will still be with us come the start of pre-season so I need to make sure we had some sort of dialogue in the first instance."

"That’s part of the challenges of the job at the moment because to predict what we’ll have with any certainty at the start of pre-season is a little bit difficult, but we will get there. We’ve still got a bit of time ahead of ourselves."

The Verdict

The former St. Mirren boss has a big job on his hands but one that he will relish.

As he says, initially it's going to be very tough as there are a lot of changes that need ot be made, with plenty of players sure to leave and more to come in.

However, that was always going to be the case after successive relegations and Ross will back himself to deliver.

Thoughts, Sunderland fans? Let us know in the comments below.