Sunderland boss Lee Johnson has told The Northern Echo that the club are considering the possibility of recalling Josh Hawkes and Jack Diamond from their loans this month. 

Both of the players are currently out on loan in Sky Bet League Two with Tranmere Rovers and Harrogate Town respectively, with the Black Cats having previously agreed to season long deals for both players last summer.

However Sunderland did include the option for both of the youngsters to be recalled to the Stadium of Light at the turn of the new year, which means the duo could well make an early return this month.

Speaking recently about that prospect, Johnson was quick to state the following:

"It's (recalling the pair) definitely in our thinking, there's no doubting that.

"We're exposed in terms of having a lot of key senior players out, so to bring anybody back fit, able to go straight in the squad, who has been performing well and is bright and lively would be a welcome addition.

"Although Sunderland being successful is number one, the secondary factor is to make sure that, if they come back, they will get adequate game time. It might be that we recall them early, and then send them back later. There are a number of options that need to be discussed on that."

So in other words, if the aforemtioned players were to return to Wearside, it would only be on a temporary basis in order to cover for the current injuries that the squad is carrying at present.

Both Hawkes and Diamond are viewed as bright prospects for the future by the Black Cats and would surely relish the chance to come back and impress.

The Verdict 

Recalling these individuals would arguably provide a quick but simple fix to what is an ongoing problem for Sunderland.

Both players have shown that they have the quality to make an impact, with Diamond in particular having played pretty regularly for the club last season as they narrowly missed out on promotion again.

They are both players who are high on confidence right now and would be good to have around the group even if they don't play in every game.

It will certainly be interesting to see which was Johnson goes on this one.