Who has played the most minutes for Sunderland this season?

The Sunderland squad has been stretched all season and it's starting to creek. Just how many minutes have the players played, though?

Michael Graham | Feb 22, 2023

Who has played the most minutes for Sunderland this season? /

There is no question that the Sunderland squad are really feeling the strain of fatigue right now.

They looked tied in the 1-1 draw against Bristol City and near-enough exhausted as they lost to Rotherham.

Not all of it is necessarily down to cumulative minutes of course. The players got a natural mid-season break this season due to the World Cup and the injuries this season means the minutes have been spread out around the squad.

The problem is more about who has played a lot of minutes recently, with Sunderland having just played five games in 17 days.

Anyway, it's still interesting to see just how many minutes each member of the regularly used squad have played so far.

Who has played more minutes between Dennis Cirkin and Aji Alese? Is Trai Hume as far behind Lynden Gooch as you'd expect? Which five Sunderland players have played more than 2,000 minutes?

Click through the slides to find out all the info.

Tony Mowbray says Ba 'wants to play more' and it's easy to see why. He has played just 608 minutes this season, 400 of which have come int he Championship.

Edouard Michut in action for Sunderland — Edouard Michut

Michut has played just 797 minutes of football this season, with 527 of them coming in the Championship. He has played a lot of those minutes vert recently, though.

What might have been if Ross Stewart could have played more than the 1,092 minutes (1,041 in Championship) he has been able to? I try not to think about it as it's all very depressing.

Elliot Embleton looks on for Sunderland at Swansea — Elliott Embleton

Elliot Embleton was a regular before his serious injury at Hull. He amassed 1,140 minutes (1,060 in Championship) before fracturing his ankle.

Trai Hume Sunderland Stadium of Light — Trai Hume

The fact Trai Hume is in the top 14 players for minutes played this season highlights Sunderland's injury problems. He has played 1,021 Championship minutes and 1,381 in total.

Dan Ballard missed a big chunk of the season but the mental schedule right now has seen his wrack up the minutes quickly. He is currently on Dan Ballard 1,435 - with 1,165 of them in the Championship.

Dennis Cirkin, Sunderland — Dennis Cirkin

Dennis Cirkin has, frustratingly, been in and out of the side due to minor injuries. He has played 1,446, all of them in the league.

Aji Alese in Sunderland defeat at Swansea — Aji Alese

With Cirkin's injury problems, Aji Alese has taken his chance and been Sunderland's most-used left-back this season. He has played Aji Alese 1,509 minutes, although he has been used less than Cirkin in the Championship (1,284).

Lynden Gooch Sunderland Swansea — Lynden Gooch

The fact Gooch has played just a few hundred more minutes than Trai Hume this season blows my mind. He has played 1,639 minutes - all in the Championship.

Evans won't play again this season but he was a key player before that. He played Corry Evans 1,827 minutes (all Championship) before injury.

Alex Pritchard at Sunderland — Alex Pritchard

Until recent injury Pritchard was one of the first names on the Sunderland teamsheet. He has been restricted since, meaning he has played Alex Pritchard 1,884 minutes, with all but 26 coming in the Championship.

Patrick Roberts Sunderland celebrate — Patrick Roberts

Roberts found himself for some of the campaign but, right now, only six players have played more than his 1,964 (1.640 Championship) minutes this season.

Amad Diallo celebrates Sunderland goal against Millwall — Amad Diallo / IMAGO

The reason Roberts struggled to get a game was Amad Diallo, but they two are now near enough level in terms of minutes this season. The Ivorian has played 1,968 this season - 1,717 in the league.

In terms of minutes, there are five Sunderland players well ahead of the rest. Luke O'Nien is the first with 2,491, with 2,285 coming in the Championship.

Neil started the season with question marks over whether he was robust enough, but he has more than answered those. He has a mammoth 2,713 minutes under his belt, including 244 in the cup competitions.

Danny Batth Sunderland instrumental — Danny Batth

Batth has been a colossus for Sunderland. He is right up there in terms of minutes played 2,750 of them, including 180 in the FA Cup, and he has arguably been the Black Cats' most consistent performer.

Jack Clarke Sunderland relentless — Jack Clarke

The winger has been a real workhorse this season and is probably leading the player of the season race right now. He has amassed a hugely impressive 2,852 minutes, 2,654 coming in the Championship. No outfield player has more.

Anthony Patterson Sunderland England — Anthony Patterson

No surprise to see Patterson top the list given he has played every minute of the season except the EFL Cup defeat at Sheffield Wednesday. That's 3,150 minutes in total.

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