Connor Wickham will be given a "good opportunity" to stake his claim for a regular spot in the Sunderland team over the rest of the season.
The England Under-21 striker had been in impressive form for Leeds United in the Championship over the last month, prompting Black Cats boss Gus Poyet to recall him from his loan spell.
Prior to that, Wickham had also enjoyed a productive stint with Sheffield Wednesday in the first half of the season, meaning he’s now bagged a total of ten goals in 25 appearances this season.
Watch highlights of England Under-21s' 6-0 win over Scotland last August
And with a number of injuries in the Sunderland strike force, Wickham returns to the Stadium Of Light with the real prospect of getting a chance to impress, starting with Wednesday’s game against Liverpool.
"I’m not just going to look at Connor tomorrow, I will look at him over the next ten games and he is going to have a good opportunity to perform," revealed Poyet, ahead of their trip to Anfield.
"He’s been playing games [out on loan] which is good – playing against good Championship teams and top defenders.
"But it’s not [only] about him; it’s about the whole group, the whole club and Connor is a part of that.
"We hope that he can perform at a very good level for us."
Wickham will also be hoping to catch the eye of Under-21s boss Gareth Southgate, having not featured for the Three Lions since the 6-0 victory over Scotland last August.
The former Ipswich Town forward has scored six goals in 17 appearances for the Under-21s and had previously been a regular for England U16s, U17s and U19s.
