Alex Neil issues positive Nathan Broadhead update ahead of Sunderland’s clash with Wigan

Sunderland manager Alex Neil has revealed that Nathan Broadhead has stepped up his road to recovery from injury by participating in training ahead of the club’s clash with Wigan Athletic this weekend.

Broadhead has been forced to watch on from the sidelines since suffering a serious hamstring injury during the club’s League Cup clash with Arsenal in December.

The forward went back to his parent-club Everton to undergo treatment for this issue and has now returned to Stadium of Light.

In the absence of Broadhead, Sunderland have experienced a concerning dip in form in League One.

The Black Cats have only managed to win three of their last 12 games at this level and are now facing a battle to retain a spot in the play-off places in the third-tier.

Set to take on a Wigan outfit tomorrow who are currently fighting for automatic promotion at this level, Sunderland know that they could be in for a tough afternoon at the DW Stadium if they fail to step up to the mark in this fixture.

Ahead of this showdown, Neil has shared an update on Broadhead.

Speaking to Chronicle Live about the forward, Neil said: “Nathan is back with us and he trained yesterday.

“He’s back in the building after having done his rehab at Everton, and he will hopefully come back in [the squad] as soon as he can because we need all hands to the pump to get everybody fit and firing.”

The Verdict

This is a positive update for Sunderland as Broadhead illustrated some real signs of promise before suffering his injury setback.

In the 12 league games that he has featured in for the Black Cats this season, Broadhead has managed to find the back of the net on five occasions.

The forward also scored in the club’s League Cup clashes with Wigan and Arsenal.

Whilst this