Sunderland have ‘major concern’ after Ross Stewart news confirmed – Phillips
Ross Stewart’s fitness is “a major concern” for Sunderland, according to Kevin Phillips.
The Stadium of Light legend, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, fears the Black Cats are over-reliant on the 25-year-old striker and would struggle to score in his absence.
Stewart struggled in a 1-1 draw at Wimbledon on Saturday – his sixth consecutive league game without scoring.
As quoted by the Sunderland Echo (12 February), Alex Neil revealed he took the striker off after 73 minutes because he “looked jaded.”
Neil detailed how Stewart has “probably never played this many games in a season.”
Phillips suggested Neil may give Stewart extra recovery days or days off to help manage his workload.
“It’s a major concern,” he told Football Insider‘s Dylan Childs.
“From the outset, I’ve said there is an over-reliance on Ross Stewart to score goals. If he is missing, where are the goals going to come from?
“Nobody can expect Jermain Defoe to be the answer given his age and how little football he’s played this season. He’s not going to get in there and run the channels. He cannot do what Ross Stewart does.
“Therefore, Stewart’s fitness is a worry, especially given the run of form the team’s on at the moment. They’ve relied so heavily on him this season.
“Perhaps Alex Neil has to manage him a little bit. He might be given an extra day off or an extra recovery day just to get him right for the games. His availability is more important than anyone else.”
In other news, Phillips has issued a ‘massive’ Danny Batth claim after a Sunderland injury update.