Wickham Returns To Wearside

Connor Wickham has returned to Sunderland following a loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday and will be welcomed straight back into the squad for the crunch clash with Norwich City on Sunday.

Having been unable to put seven substitutes out in some games, and even more catastrophically against Queens Park Rangers where our most attacking option was David Vaughan, the move to bring him back was an absolute no-brainer.

Dave Jones was keen to extend the 19-year old's spell in Yorkshire, but admits we needed him more as he told The Sheffield Telegraph today;

I've been really pleased with Connor during his loan, he was a pleasure to work with and a talented player.

I've spoken with Martin O'Neill and we really wanted Connor to stay but I fully understand that Sunderland have a striker shortage at the moment.

If it is something we get a chance to look at again, we would certainly like to have him back.

Wickham didn't really pull up any trees at Hillsborough scoring one goal in six appearances, but he's badly been missed up here in recent weeks and hopefully he can come in and do something so Martin O'Neill isn't tempted to send him out on loan again.

Wickham will go straight into the squad against Norwich City on Sunday, against whom he had a decent outing earlier in the season.

In other returning from loan news, Adam Reed is back from his spell at Portsmouth, however this is unlikely to make any impact on anyone apart from he might get to play more FIFA with David Meyler.