Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris is hopeful that Jayden Danns will return from injury next month after joining the Black Cats on loan from Liverpool on transfer deadline day. The 19-year-old missed the majority of the first half of the current campaign with a back injury, before making his return against Southampton in the League Cup quarter-finals in December.

Scoring in the FA Cup against Accrington Stanley last month, he was then handed his first start by Arne Slot in the Champions League against PSV Eindhoven before being sent on loan to the promotion-chasing Championship outfit.

However, the forward has been unable to feature for Sunderland to date after a back issue was picked up in his medical.

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Consequently, he is completing his rehabilitation at the AXA Training Centre ahead of returning to the North East for the rest of the season.

However, Danns was at Elland Road on Monday to watch his new team-mates in action away at Leeds United as they fell to a last-minute 2-1 defeat.

And Le Bris has offered an injury update on the Liverpool starlet, admitting he is not yet close to returning but Sunderland are hopeful he will be available for action again in March.

“We are trying to build a connection with Jayden and the team,” Le Bris said. “Of course it is not easy while he is injured and we don't know how long [before he returns].

“So we try to keep the connection and then we will see, maybe in one month he will be available. We have to see. I've spoken with him, absolutely.

“He is having his treatment at Liverpool but we are doing what we can to build that connection for when he is ready.”

Le Bris had said of the striker earlier in the month: “We don’t know at the moment with Jayden. We probably have to take it week by week. He’s still a very young player and it’s fair to say that we have to protect this player. So, we will work with Liverpool to find the right moment to bring him into the side.”

Danns has impressed for the Reds since making his first team debut last February. Breaking into the first team squad under Jurgen Klopp, he was a member of the side that beat Chelsea to win the League Cup before scoring his first two goals for the Reds against Southampton in the FA Cup.

He has three goals from nine appearances for Liverpool to date, and was rewarded with a new long-term contract before completing his loan move to Sunderland.

The Black Cats currently sit fourth in the Championship and are on course to at least secure a play-off place this season, with it hoped that Danns can return and help them compete for promotion to the Premier League.