The Latics manager was down to 16 fit senior players for last week's clash at Charlton and then saw Gary Teale carried off with a leg injury.
So he desperately wants to boost the numbers as the Premiership's bottom two meet at the JJB Stadium to chase their first points of the campaign.
Jewell can add Josip Skoko to the squad, the Australian midfielder having completed his move to Latics earlier in the week.
But whether there will be any further new signings before Saturday remains to be seen, even though there has been work behind the scenes to do some business.
Bradford City's veteran striker Dean Windass has emerged as a surprise target, a player signed by Jewell during his time in charge at Valley Parade.
Latics checked him out during the Bantams' Carling Cup game against Rochdale on Tuesday night and are ready to make their move.
A bid has also been made for Trabzonspor striker Fatih Tekke but the Turkish club seem unwilling to sell.
And there is renewed interest in Dean Ashton at Norwich, despite Latics being given the cold shoulder by the Canaries last week. It may be Jewell will have to rely on getting some of the injured players fit to give him increased selection options against the Black Cats.
Graham Kavanagh, Lee McCulloch, Emerson Thome and John Filan all missed the start of the campaign through injuries picked up in pre-season. Record signing Henri Camara added his name to the casualty list after pulling his hamstring on international duty for Senegal last week, and then Teale was clattered at Charlton, leading to fears he had broken his leg.
But an X-ray gave the Scottish winger the all-clear and his fitness will be assessed ahead of the weekend.
It's probable Kavanagh will return after three weeks out with a torn muscle in the bottom of his foot, while McCulloch has half a chance as he strives to recover from a strained medial ligament in his knee.
Camara has had a scan on his hamstring to assess the extent of the damage, but Thome and Filan won't be ready for a couple of weeks yet.
Jewell said: "The treatment room has been full of injured players in the last few days and we're trying to get them fit. I'm hopeful Kav will be ready for Saturday and we'll have to see about Lee.
"He is fine when it comes to doing the running with the physios but kicking the ball is a problem because of the ligament damage.
"It's now three weeks since he got the injury in the friendly at Accrington, so I hope to have him back sooner rather than later.
"John Filan is probably another two or three weeks away after his hernia operation while Emerson has torn his thigh muscle which can be awkward."
Getting Camara or McCulloch back in the frame would be ideal for Jewell, the manager having been disappointed with the attacking display at Charlton.
He was forced to play Jason Roberts as a lone striker with Andreas Johansson in the hole behind him.
Jewell said: "We have looked good defensively in the first two games but we were disappointing with our forward play last week.
"I don't just mean the attacking players when I say that, because we attack as a team and defend as one.
"We just didn't get enough men in the box and when the ball came in we didn't get anyone on it."
So he desperately wants to boost the numbers as the Premiership's bottom two meet at the JJB Stadium to chase their first points of the campaign.
Jewell can add Josip Skoko to the squad, the Australian midfielder having completed his move to Latics earlier in the week.
But whether there will be any further new signings before Saturday remains to be seen, even though there has been work behind the scenes to do some business.
Bradford City's veteran striker Dean Windass has emerged as a surprise target, a player signed by Jewell during his time in charge at Valley Parade.
Latics checked him out during the Bantams' Carling Cup game against Rochdale on Tuesday night and are ready to make their move.
A bid has also been made for Trabzonspor striker Fatih Tekke but the Turkish club seem unwilling to sell.
And there is renewed interest in Dean Ashton at Norwich, despite Latics being given the cold shoulder by the Canaries last week. It may be Jewell will have to rely on getting some of the injured players fit to give him increased selection options against the Black Cats.
Graham Kavanagh, Lee McCulloch, Emerson Thome and John Filan all missed the start of the campaign through injuries picked up in pre-season. Record signing Henri Camara added his name to the casualty list after pulling his hamstring on international duty for Senegal last week, and then Teale was clattered at Charlton, leading to fears he had broken his leg.
But an X-ray gave the Scottish winger the all-clear and his fitness will be assessed ahead of the weekend.
It's probable Kavanagh will return after three weeks out with a torn muscle in the bottom of his foot, while McCulloch has half a chance as he strives to recover from a strained medial ligament in his knee.
Camara has had a scan on his hamstring to assess the extent of the damage, but Thome and Filan won't be ready for a couple of weeks yet.
Jewell said: "The treatment room has been full of injured players in the last few days and we're trying to get them fit. I'm hopeful Kav will be ready for Saturday and we'll have to see about Lee.
"He is fine when it comes to doing the running with the physios but kicking the ball is a problem because of the ligament damage.
"It's now three weeks since he got the injury in the friendly at Accrington, so I hope to have him back sooner rather than later.
"John Filan is probably another two or three weeks away after his hernia operation while Emerson has torn his thigh muscle which can be awkward."
Getting Camara or McCulloch back in the frame would be ideal for Jewell, the manager having been disappointed with the attacking display at Charlton.
He was forced to play Jason Roberts as a lone striker with Andreas Johansson in the hole behind him.
Jewell said: "We have looked good defensively in the first two games but we were disappointing with our forward play last week.
"I don't just mean the attacking players when I say that, because we attack as a team and defend as one.
"We just didn't get enough men in the box and when the ball came in we didn't get anyone on it."