Emmanuel Eboue is edging closer to a Sunderland debut.

The Evening Chronicle says Eboue played 75 minutes of Thursday's 2-1 friendly defeat to Middlesbrough.

The former Arsenal European Cup finalist is yet to make his debut for the club, and has not played competitively since last summer. He was getting close to a first call-up only to pick up a hamstring problem in training which ruled him out for a fortnight.

The game was organised to give minutes on the pitch to those who needed them, and Eboue was chief among them.