‘Late call’ to be made on fitness of Everton striker crucial to promotion hopes

Everton prospect Nathan Broadhead is going through a battle to return for Sunderland’s essential play-off semi-final first leg.

The striker has played a key role within the Black Cats’ promotion bid, scoring 5 targets in April as he helped his mortgage membership safe a play-off berth. Two of these targets had been stoppage time winners and he scored the one purpose towards Morecambe on Saturday in a sport Sunderland wanted to win to make sure their season was stored alive.

Broadhead was then taken off after choosing up a knock that has left him doubtful for the play-off first leg towards Sheffield Wednesday on Friday evening.

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Speaking forward of the sport, Sunderland boss Alex Neil was coy on the 24-year-old’s health following the muscle harm sustained on the Lancashire coast, merely saying: “We’ll make a name on Broady.”

Broadhead has hit 10 targets in 20 League One video games and played a vital role in helping Sunderland reach the play-offs. Late winners towards Shrewsbury Town and Gillingham, together with the one purpose at Morecambe, helped the membership attain fifth place.

Broadhead is not the one Everton striker to have impressed on mortgage in latest weeks with Ellis Simms having fun with a profitable spell at Hearts. The 21-year-old scored the opening purpose as Hearts beat Hibernian to achieve the Scottish Cup last final month.