Sunderland striker Ross Stewart to start 'proper rehab' next week following surgery

Ross Stewart is set to hit the comeback trial next week, Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray has confirmed.

Tony Mowbray has confirmed Ross Stewart has had his Achilles surgery as he offered an update on the striker's recovery.

Stewart was in incredible form when he pulled up with the injury in the FA Cup third round tie at Fulham in early January.

Initial fears were that he could be out for more than a year due to the severity of it, but scans revealed more positive news and Stewart could now be back in time for the start of pre-season training.

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That will require a smooth and setback-free recovery from surgery, but that process is now underway.

“Ross has had his surgery and has gone back to Scotland for a week,” Mowbray said. “It’s not something you can rush from the first day, with the tenderness of an operation.

“He needs to let it settle down, and then the proper rehab will start in a week or so once the swelling and soreness from the operation has gone down.”

The injury was an obvious setback for Sunderland but it was a devastating blow for Stewart, who had been scoring for fun since recovering from a thigh injury that saw him miss 15 games earlier in the season.

Mowbray, though, is confident he will be okay, and he will at least have captain Corry Evans, who is in a similar position, to help him work through his recovery.

“He’ll be fine,” Mowbray said. “He’s a strong personality and he’ll get on with it, just like Corry.

"They’ll both get on with it, and I’m sure they’ll be spending a lot of time in the gym and the rehab pool together over the next few months.”

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