Steven Fletcher recovering well
Paolo Di Canio says Steven Fletcher is making progress from his ankle injury but is unlikely to be fit for the start of the season.
The Scot has been recovering from ankle ligament damage over the summer and, while he is yet to resume full training, he is making significant progress.
Di Canio says it is still too early to tell when Fletcher will be ready to return but is hopeful he will have last season's top scorer available to him sooner rather than later.
"He is improving, he has improved a lot," Paolo Di Canio told sunderland echo "We can't say how much longer it will take but there is a big improvement and we know all about the problem.
"We are very happy with his progress and we are waiting for him." It is thought Fletcher is on course to be fully fit by the end of August but, after missing much of pre-season training, it may take him a few more weeks after that before he is ready for competitive action.