SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 29: Sunderland player Dan Ballard in action during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sunderland and Huddersfield Town at Stadium of Light on November 29, 2023 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Sunderland injury update on Dan Ballard and Alan Browne
SUNDERLAND have received a huge boost ahead of this weekend’s game against Middlesbrough, with Dan Ballard expected to be involved after his Plymouth injury scare.
Ballard was pictured leaving Home Park on crutches and with his foot in a protective boot after the defeat to Argyle but head coach Regis Le Bris said that was a precaution and the centre-half has recovered well.
Ballard is now expected to start against Boro this weekend. And although Alan Browne will miss this weekend’s game, there was also positive news on the midfielder, who is only expected to be out of action for a week.
The Republic of Ireland international attended a question and answer session at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday evening alongside Sunderland’s other summer signings with his leg in a protective brace.
He’ll be missing this weekend but is expected to be back in contention for the trip to Watford a week on Saturday.
Le Bris said: “Ballard should be OK for this weekend and for Browney we need at least one week more to be available.”
Deadline day signing Salis Abdul Samed is expected to join in training in the next week as the midfielder works his way back from injury.
The Sunderland summer signing has been singing the praises of an established Black Cats hero.
Sunderland summer signing Wilson Isidor has hailed club stalwart Luke O’Nien for his impact on helping him settle and embrace a new challenge on Wearside.
The Frenchman arrived at the Stadium of Light last month from Zenit St. Petersburg on an initial loan deal with an option-to-buy attached, and has since made two substitute appearances for Regis Le Bris’ first team.
Speaking at a fan Q&A event earlier this week, Isidor was quick to praise the quality of his new teammates, but picked out defender O’Nien as one particularly integral character both on and off the pitch. He said: “In the team, we have got a lot of talent. Who made an impact on me early was Luke O’Nien. You feel that the guy lives for the club. He is so involved in everything on the pitch and off the pitch for the group. He is a really really big leader. His quality made an impact on me the most when I came to the club.”
Elsewhere, Isidor also reserved positive words for his new head coach, adding: “He is a really good coach. He doesn’t need to talk too much to make us understand his ideas. When he says something, he doesn’t need to say it twice for you to understand. He has great ideas and as a group, we all like them. He is a really good coach.”
During another fan interaction, Isidor was asked what he likes about being at Sunderland, to which he answered: “The fans. The history of the club. The stadium. We can all like a lot of things about the club. The jersey is also a beautiful colour. It’s the biggest club in the North East of England.”
