Sunderland's managerial appointment process is nearing an end with the club expected to name Jack Ross' successor over the next 24-48 hours.
Former Bolton Wanderers and Bradford City boss Phil Parkinson is favourite for the role, with reports this afternoon suggesting that his main rival Gareth Ainsworth is likely to stay at Wycombe Wanderers despite interest from Sunderland and Millwall.
The Black Cats travel to Wycombe on Saturday and the club is keen to fill the managerial vacancy before heading to Adams Park.
Sunderland had been given permission by Wycombe to speak to Ainsworth and that set up the possibility of the 46-year-old's first game in charge of his new club pitting him against the side he had just left, but it now seems that that will not happen.
Instead, Sunderland's new manager - whoever he may be - will find himself coming up against a man he pipped to the job on Wearside.
Under Ross, Sunderland generally held pre-match Press conferences on a Thursday ahead of a Saturday game, and if an appointment is made tomorrow it would fit into the same framework.
If it takes longer than expected to tie up the deal, it would still leave Friday for the new manager to be unveiled ahead of the weekend.
Sunderland's new manager will arrive with a simple brief - to win automatic promotion this season.
He will inherit a side that, although it slipped to ninth place in the table because Sunderland's game against Fleetwood last weekend was postponed due to international call-ups, is still only four points outside the automatic promotion places with Wycombe the side currently in second place.
Of the sides above Sunderland, only leaders Ipswich Town and Fleetwood have played the same number of games, with the Black Cats having a game in hand over Wycombe, Peterborough, Bristol Rovers, and Coventry City, and two games in hand over Blackpool and Oxford United.
