Sunderland forward Fabio Borini has welcomed Jan Kirchhoff back from injury, saying that the German midfielder is "the kind of player we have missed in midfield".
Kirchhoff's return a rare positive in the run-in
The Black Cats currently lie bottom of the Premier League and are six points away from 17th placed Crystal Palace, with a home game against Burnley their next fixture.
The news of Kirchoff's return to training is a rare positive in Sunderland's season and the former Bayern Munich man competed just over an hour for the club's U23s last week against Manchester United.
Borini remains hopeful of survival, and told the club's official website that he hopes Kirchhoff "can have a similar impact as he did last season because Jan is a big guy."
The Italian went on to say that Kirchhoff "is clever on the ball" and added that the 26-year-old "can do both transitions – offensive and defensive – in a very good manner."
Cattermole's comeback on the horizon
Sunderland need all the bodies they can get ahead of the final 11 games of the season, with crunch clashes against Burnley, Swansea, Bournemouth, Hull and Middlesbrough all seen as must-wins for David Moyes' men.
Also on the road to recovery is Lee Cattermole, who has been out due to injury since the 3-2 home defeat to Crystal Palace on September 24 and could return to first-team action in April.
Borini hailed Cattermole as a player who has "a charismatic personality" and added that "and he is a great strength for us."
"He is someone we can always rely on", said the Italian, who went on to say that "we have missed him" in the heart of midfield this season.
Sunderland take on Burnley at the Stadium of Light in their next Premier League fixture, with kick-off scheduled for 3PM on Saturday afternoon.