Sunderland winger Mundle targeting play-off return

Romaine Mundle has scored five goals in 23 Championship games this season

Sunderland winger Romaine Mundle aims to be fit for the play-offs as he recovers from a hamstring injury.

Mundle picked up the injury in the win at West Bromwich Albion last Saturday and is set to miss the last five games of the regular season.

But with the Black Cats guaranteed a play-off spot, head coach Regis Le Bris hopes he will have the 21-year-old available for those matches in May.

"The target is the play-offs," Le Bris told BBC Radio Newcastle. "We'll try to prepare Romaine for this fixture. He should be OK for this target."

It is the second time this season Mundle has been sidelined with a hamstring injury as he missed three months between November and February.

The goalless draw at Norwich on Tuesday secured Sunderland's place in the top six and they only need one more win to finish at least fourth which will ensure the second leg of a play-off semi-final at the Stadium of Light.

With that in mind, Jobe Bellingham will miss Saturday's home game with Swansea City as he rests a minor ankle injury which also kept him out of the match at Carrow Road.

But Le Bris knows that the Black Cats cannot take their foot off the pedal completely despite their immediate fate already being decided.

"If we are relaxed now, we'll be in trouble," added Le Bris. "We can't just wait until the end of the season and we'll see what will happen.

"We have to build this end of the season properly with the same foundations, to build strong momentum. It's not just like a switch on."