Sunderland: Mick Beale on potentially sending Mason Burstow back to Chelsea | OneFootball

Sunderland manager Michael Beale has issued his stance on loanee Mason Burstow, insisting he has not considered the option of sending the struggling Sunderland striker back to Chelsea this month.

The former QPR boss has been at the helm on Wearside for the past two weeks, taking four points from his opening three games available as the Black Cats look to revive their bid for a place in the play-offs.

A 1-1 draw to relegation-threatened Rotherham United last Friday highlighted their need for an effective central striker, with winger Jack Clarke currently carrying the pressure of supplying enough goals to keep the club near the top of the division.

11 new additions were brought to the Stadium of Light during the summer transfer window as the club looked to build on their play-off semi-final defeat to Luton Town last campaign.

One of those signings was the 20-year-old Burstow, but with the forward struggling to hit the levels required in a red and white shirt, rumours have circulated around whether he will make an imminent return to Stamford Bridge.

A premature end to Burstow’s loan deal would reportedly free up space on the wage bill for Sunderland to bring in an alternative forward option before the January transfer window closes, which could be an appealing option for the Black Cats.

However, with so little time spent in the job, Beale is still attempting to figure out which players he will want at his disposal heading into the second half of the season, and he will give the forward ample opportunity to prove his worth under a new regime, according to the Northern Echo.

When asked about the possibility of an early end to Burstow’s loan deal, Beale said: “I haven’t had that discussion, I’ve just come in and I'm having a look at these players.

“I gave Mason a go (off the bench at Rotherham), I gave young Eliezer a go off the bench against Coventry City last week. I'm looking at the boys in the training, it's my first time working with them and it's been spoken about enough that the strikers we brought in haven't scored yet.

“I'm looking and seeing, and we'll assess as the window opens what it is that we'll do, but my focus at the moment is working with them in training, getting them in front of the goal and scoring. There's a lot of work going on in the background with these strikers and I think it's clear that, as a team, we need to convert our possession into more shots and then more goals.”

The Sunderland boss is also hoping the forward line can ease the pressure on Jack Clarke, who has currently netted 12 goals for the club this season.

Beale added: “Before coming in, I think we had the highest expected-goals in the league, but that only matters if you're putting that on the scoreboard, I want the ball to go in the back of the net. As the away team at Rotherham, we had real difficulties in the game, and yet we still managed to have 70 per cent possession.

“I'm expecting us to work the goalkeeper more than we did and take some of the burden off Jack. At the moment, he's on fire and long may that continue.”

The London-born striker has struggled to find his feet since his move to the North East, with just 596 minutes of action recording from 12 league outings.

Burstow has failed to find the back of the net so far in a Sunderland shirt, with his only attacking contribution coming in September last year against Sheffield Wednesday.

The loanee was an unused substitute for Beale against Coventry City and Hull City but was given the whole of the second half to make an impact at Rotherham United, with further minutes expected heading into the new year.

Despite earning a fresh start under new management, Burstow will have to find his shooting boots quickly if he is to avoid a recall, with significant pressure growing on the 20-year-old to make a name for himself at the Stadium of Light.