Duncan Watmore is slated to make his return tomorrow as Sunderland kick-off their EFL Trophy campaign against Grimsby Town on Wearside.
Watmore has not figured since suffering a thigh injury after coming off the bench against Oxford United on the opening day of the season.
He was due to play in the Black Cats' Carabao Cup tie at Burnley at the end of August but aggravated the injury on the eve of that match, and has been sidelined until now.
But manager Jack Ross said recently that Watmore has been back in full training and is set to play against the Mariners.
"Duncan trained last week and was really bright and positive," Ross said on Thursday.
"Unless anything untoward happens, he will be involved on Tuesday night which will be a big plus for me but also a big plus for him as well."
Prior to that game against Oxford, Watmore had not played since damaging ankle ligaments in a game at Wycombe Wanderers in March.
And that came just three months after he had returned from a second cruciate ligament injury.
Watmore's inclusion will be one of a slew of changes made by Ross for the Trophy game, with the manager having admitted that this competition 'pales into insignificance' alongside the absolute priority of winning promotion from League One.
Ross is likely to use tonight's game to give gametime to senior players who have not been involved, or who have been out of the starting line-up, in recent weeks.
Players fitting into that category include the likes of Lee Burge , Alim Ozturk , Denver Hume , George Dobson , Grant Leadbitter , and Will Grigg .
Ross may also involve Aiden McGeady and Marc McNulty who have been out injured but made their returns from the bench in the weekend defeat at Lincoln City, and one or two young players from the U23 setup could also be drafted into the squad.
Goakeeper Jon McLaughlin and defenders Tom Flanagan and Conor McLaughlin are away on international duty.
Elliot Embleton will miss out with a hamstring injury which is set to sideline him for up to eight weeks.
