Sunderland boss gives an update on his international players - and reiterates Jewison Bennette message

Ba picked up a minor injury while representing France U20s, but trained with his team-mates on Thursday. Bennette, meanwhile, is due back on Thursday night having scored twice for Costa Rica against South Korea. He was then rested for the second game of their schedule.

Corry Evans is fit to start after also being rested by Northern Ireland for their second game of the international break.

“We’re still waiting on Jewison," Mowbray said.

"The communication lines aren’t great – he’s been in South Korea and, as I sit here right now, I don’t think he’s going to be in and training today [Thursday]. He should definitely be available and training tomorrow though.

"He should come back in good spirits, having scored two in the first game against South Korea on the back of his goal at Watford. Hopefully, we get him back confident and ready to go.

“He’s very fast and direct, and is one of those electric players that gets people out of their seats. If he skips past that first challenge, he’s off and you’re not catching him.

"He’s exciting. But putting it into context, the communication with him is difficult. We’ve upped the language courses, and he’ll maybe be doing four hours a week now. The quicker he becomes acclimatised and is joining in the banter with the lads around the building, the better it is.

"But that said, it was great for him to score the goal at Watford and it’s going to have done him no harm to have scored two for his country away in South Korea. Let’s hope he comes back and is acclimatising. His spirits will be high.

"He’s exciting, but I don’t want to build him up too much because he’s a young boy. He’s a young boy who doesn’t speak the language yet and is five foot six. He’s a young kid, and we shouldn’t be building him up into something at this moment in time.”

On Ba, Mowbray said: "Abdoullah Ba picked up a bit of a dead leg but we're hopeful that he'll be able to train - I'm having to brush up on my French so I can read the reports from his coach on his training!

"But he's back - and he'll come out with us to see how he is."

Mowbray also explained the club's decision to rearrange their game with Millwall for December 3rd, cutting short their break for the World Cup group stages: "I think it's the right thing to do.

"Normally with the World Cup, it's sit and watch the football, this year with a cup of tea and the fire on, life doesn't get any better.

"But this means it's three weeks off instead of four, Millwall were happy with that as well. I think the fans will be keen to get back out at live matches so it should be a big occasion, rather than squeezing it in midweek later in the season.

"Hopefully we can find a good performance and a positive result."