Sunderland injury update: When can we expect players to return?
To say that Sunderland have been unlucky with injuries this season would be a quite monumental understatement.
Ross Stewart will almost certainly miss the rest of the season with an Achilles injury and Corry Evans is going to have to sit it out too after undergoing surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament.
Then you add in the fact Dan Ballard has missed a lot of football and Elliot Embleton fracturing his ankle at Hull, and the situation really has been bleak at times.
It is not just the serious ones that has hurt Sunderland either. There have been a number of niggles and minor injuries that have plagued the club all season.
So, with seven games coming up in the next 21 days, what is the latest injury situation?
Dennis Cirkin
Left-back has been a definite problem position for Sunderland this season. In the last two games alone four players have played there.
None of them have been Dennis Cirkin, though, who is the only actual specialist left-back at the club.
Cirkin suffered a hip injury on Boxing Day against Blackburn Rovers but he is back in full training now and was close to making the squad for the Fulham game.
Hopefully, he is one who could be back as early as Millwall next week.
Alex Pritchard
Influential midfielder Alex Pritchard suffered a calf injury in December, although he returned as a second-half substitute against Wigan. Frustratingly, he only lasted six minutes before suffering a recurrence.
That was 30 days ago now, and Sunderland have understandably been extremely cautious since. Pritchard was due to return to full training last week, though. Assuming he did, and with the club’s caution in mind, he may be in contention for Millwall next week, but it’s more likely the FA Cup replay against Fulham will be when he will return.
Whether he can get his place back given how spectacularly Amad Diallo and Patrick Roberts are linking up is another question entirely.
Lynden Gooch
Lynden Gooch is another player who has been in and out of the team through injury – and another one who might find it hard to regain his place when he is back.
Gooch played against Swansea but was then missing for the following match against Middlesbrough. Tony Mowbray explained it was a hip flexor injury, and a sufficiently serious one to require a scan.
Mowbray also projected a two to three week absence, which would make mid-February his likely return date.
Bailey Wright
Bailey Wright was brought on against Middlesbrough to solve a defensive injury crisis after Aji Alese, who hadn’t trained for weeks, suffered cramping in the second half.
However, Wright himself was on the injury list when the Black Cats travelled to face Fulham in the FA Cup.
His absence reignited rumours of a potential departure, but afterwards Tony Mowbray said a calf injury was the reason behind it.
It is not a serious knock though, so he should be back very quickly. He is also expected to remain at the club now until the summer at least.
Elliot Embleton
While Ross Stewart (probably) and Evans will miss the rest of the season, Elliot Embleton has a chance to be back for the run-in.
Embleton looked to have suffered an incredibly serious injury at Hull when he was carried off while on oxygen. He was later pictured leaving hospital with his whole leg in a cast.
However, Mowbray has said he could play again this season and late March/early April is apparently seen as a realistic target for him barring complications.
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