Sunderland manager Lee Johnson has revealed that Denver Hume could be in line to make his return from injury in the club's upcoming EFL Trophy clash with Lincoln City.

The Black Cats are set to take on the Imps in this particular competition on Tuesday.

Having won the EFL Trophy last season, it will be intriguing to see whether Sunderland are able to defend this title during the current campaign.

Currently thriving under the guidance of Johnson, the Black Cats climbed above Wigan Athletic in the League One standings yesterday as they sealed a fantastic 5-0 victory over Cheltenham Town.

A brace from Ross Stewart as well as goals from Luke O'Nien, Bailey Wright and Leon Dajaku allowed Sunderland to secure all three-points in-front of their supporters at the Stadium of Light.

Johnson's side will now be looking to back up this particular display by producing an encouraging performance against Portsmouth this weekend.

Whilst Hume is not set to feature in this clash, Johnson has confirmed that the defender could make his first senior appearance of the season against Lincoln.

Speaking to the Northern Echo about the 23-year-old, the Sunderland boss said: "We're taking it day by day.

"Denver's moving well and always moves well, and the coach's eye would suggest that he's very nearly ready.

"Maybe in that Papa John's game [against Lincoln], I might look to start Denver.

 

 

"And then maybe we'll withdraw him at some point in the game."

The Verdict

When you consider that Hume was unable to participate in pre-season training, it may take him some time to get back up to speed.

Although this latest update is relatively encouraging, Johnson clearly knows that he cannot afford to rush the defender back into action.

Having finally opted to commit his future to Sunderland earlier this month, Hume will now be hoping to play a major role for the club as they look to launch a push for promotion this season.

After illustrating during the previous campaign that he is more than capable of competing at this level by averaging a WhoScored match rating of 6.83 in the third-tier, Hume will now be aiming to make the left-back position his own when he is fit enough to feature.