New signing Mason Burstow and fit-again Patrick Roberts set to travel with Sunderland to QPR
Sunderland are still waiting on a visa for deadline day signing Nazariy Rusyn
New signing Mason Burstow and fit-again Patrick Roberts are set to be included in Sunderland's squad as they head to QPR this weekend. On-loan Chelsea striker Burstow joined the Black Cats on transfer deadline day but too late to be involved in the 5-0 win against Southampton less than 24 hours later.
And Roberts missed the game against the Saints and the previous match at Coventry City with a hamstring problem he suffered in the win against Rotherham United last month. But both will make the trip to West London as Sunderland look to pick up where they left off going into the international break.
Boss Tony Mowbray said: "Patrick has been training the last few days - he looks fine, grumbling away like he does normally! You know my thoughts on Patrick, he is a special footballer. There are parts of his overall package that he needs to keep working on and improving, but he is a very, very, talented footballer."
And Mowbray said 20-year-old Burstow has impressed in training, and is pushing to be involved against QPR. "He's a really nice, humble boy," said Mowbray.
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"To be honest, I think the balls were getting net rash the first day he trained! He didn't miss, everything was flying in.
"He looks exciting. He's a nice humble, almost shy, kid but he just kept smashing it into the net.
"That's not meant to put pressure on him, but in that first training session, he must have scored 50 goals in an hour's training."
Another of Sunderland's deadline day captures, Ukrainian striker Nazariy Rusyn, is also expected to be in the group that travels to London but he is still waiting for a visa and unless that comes through in time, he will be restricted to no more than a watching brief. Mowbray said: "We're still working on visas and things like that at the moment.
"As I sit here right now, he's not available. He might be tomorrow, I'm not sure, but he looks exciting.
"He looks fast and direct, but as any manager will tell you about a new signing, especially one who doesn't speak the language, we just have to give him time. They have to be bedded in, and we shouldn't be expecting too much, too early from a young lad who's away from home.
"Let's give him some time and be patient with him, but he looks a good footballer and, at some stage in the next couple of weeks, he'll hopefully impact the games."
Rusyn missed a couple of games for his previous club Zorya Luhansk through injury before making the move to Wearside and, while he is now fit, it makes it unlikely that he would start against QPR even if his visa comes through in time. Mowbray added: "I don't think he's played a game in three weeks, so I don't think anybody should expect to see his name in the starting team at the weekend.
"We will be taking him to London with us, whether he gets his visa or not. It's right that he comes with the team and is around the players.
"He'll have to stand on a chair and sing a song for his initiation - maybe we'll get the Ukrainian national anthem, I'm not so sure!"