Sunderland injury report for Pierre Ekwah
A leg issue has recently kept the midfielder out of action.
Aji Alese is still a couple of weeks away from full training and is unlikely to feature on Friday. Jewison Bennette is a major doubt for the game due to illness. Pierre Ekwah had suffered a minor injury, derailing an excellent start to his season.
Sunderland have now been provided with an update on the fitness of midfielder Pierre Ekwah ahead of Friday’s trip to Sheffield Wednesday.
What’s the latest Sunderland injury news?
The Sunderland Echo have recently discussed the latest injury news, relaying a quote from Tony Mowbray last week, who stated that Aji Alese is set to be ruled out for a little while longer: “He’s a couple of weeks away, I think. He’s on the grass, but not joining in [with full training]. “He’s training with physios and kicking a few balls and dribbling around a few cones.”
Jewison Bennette has been out of the team due to illness over the last week, and he had not returned to training prior to the defeat against Cardiff City, meaning the winger is now a major doubt for Friday’s game. Bradley Dack is also likely to miss out for the Black Cats, having been suffering with a minor hamstring issue, although Mowbray’s comments before Cardiff indicate that he could call upon the midfielder if necessary, saying:
“I think he probably could play, but we want to give him some time to strengthen it all up,” he said ahead of the Cardiff City defeat. I don’t want to get to a point where he can only play for 60 minutes, then he has to come off because he’s damaged the problem a little bit more. We’re taking the time to get him 100 percent while we feel we can afford the time to do that. I think that’s the wise thing to do.”
The only other potential absentee against Wednesday is Ekwah, who suffered a dead leg in the build up to the victory against QPR, which was made worse when he took a knock in the same area during that game.
The Frenchman has not been named in the squad for the last two Championship matches, but he is not suffering with a major issue, which means he could return to the squad for the upcoming trip to Hillsborough. However, the most likely return date will be next Wednesday, when Mowbray’s side play host to Watford at the Stadium of Light.
How has Pierre Ekwah performed this season?
It could be a real boost for Mowbray if the defensive midfielder is available on Friday night, given that he has been one of the consistent performers in the opening stages of the Championship season, averaging a 7.27 Sofascore match rating.
Despite featuring in a defensive midfield role, the 21-year-old has displayed his attacking talents this term, weighing in with two goals against Southampton, in the remarkable 5-0 victory at the Stadium of Light earlier this month.
After making his first-team breakthrough with the Black Cats last season, it seems as though the youngster is ready to kick on this season, and so it is good news that his injury is not thought to be anything serious.
Lauded as “monstrous” by members of the media, it could be a boost if Ekwah returns on Friday, but Sunderland may not need to risk him, given that they are coming up against a side who have made a very poor start to the season.
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