Chinedu Obasi was released by Schalke in the summer

Sunderland have handed a trial to former Schalke forward Chinedu Obasi.

The 29-year-old Nigeria international was released by the Bundesliga club in the summer after making just 10 league starts in three years.

Obasi has been carrying an injury since becoming a free agent but Sam Allardyce says he is going to keep assessing him over the next week.

"There's a triallist in at the moment. He used to play for Schalke but he's been injured," he said. "He's a Nigerian international and we are just seeing because he's got a reasonably good CV, in terms of where he's played before.

"He has been fraught with a bad injury, which is why he's not been fixed up with a club yet, but we'd like to see him for this week and perhaps next week.

"But I need someone who has an impact now, not in three weeks time, so it will be a difficult task I think. But he's here and if he can show us anything we haven't got then there maybe something we can do."

Obasi was signed by Schalke after a brief loan spell in 2012, having 25 goals in 91 Bundesliga appearances for Hoffenheim.

He previously played for Norwegian second division side Lyn until moving to Hoffenheim in 2007, and has 18 caps for Nigeria.