James Copley: Dan Ballard injury is a blow for Sunderland and Régis Le Bris – but it is not a crisis
Dan Ballard’s injury is a major frustration, but Sunderland are better equipped than ever to cope
Dan Ballard’s latest injury is frustrating for Sunderland, but it is not the disaster it might once have been.
There is no point dressing it up. Ballard is one of the best defenders at the club, a huge personality in the dressing room and somebody Régis Le Bris trusts in the biggest games. With Sunderland competing in the Premier League, Europa League and Carabao Cup, with the FA Cup still to come, losing him for any meaningful period is a blow.
From Ballard’s point of view, it is especially disappointing because injuries have interrupted his Sunderland career far too often. He fractured his foot just three appearances after joining in 2022, suffered a hamstring injury that was expected to keep him out for up to eight weeks last season and then had another hamstring problem in March. There have been other smaller setbacks along the way too.
That is the uncomfortable reality with Ballard. He is a top-level defender when fit, but Sunderland have almost had to build their squad on the assumption that there will be spells when he is unavailable. I also suspect that injury record is one of the reasons clubs higher up the food chain have never pushed harder to sign him.
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On ability alone, Ballard could play for plenty of teams above Sunderland. He is dominant in the air, aggressive in duels, brave, improving on the ball and capable of producing huge moments at both ends of the pitch. His dramatic play-off semi-final winner against Coventry will live forever. Availability, though, matters enormously at the highest level.
That is why this setback is a frustration rather than a crisis. Kevin Danso already looks like an excellent signing and, unlike several of Sunderland’s other summer arrivals, has gone straight into the team and started major games. Nordi Mukiele is arguably one of the most talented defenders Sunderland have had in the modern era and can operate just as comfortably centrally as he can at right-back.
Then there is Omar Alderete, who was brilliant at times last season and brings aggression, experience and balance. Luke O’Nien remains the dependable option Sunderland have leaned on countless times, while Reinildo Mandava and Dayann Methalie could potentially operate centrally if Le Bris ever wanted to alter the shape. That feels unlikely, but the broader point is important. Sunderland have options now.
In previous seasons, losing Ballard for a prolonged spell would have prompted immediate concern about how the defence could possibly cope. Florent Ghisolfi has helped remove that vulnerability by building genuine depth across the back line.
Ballard will still be badly missed if the early reports about the severity of his injury prove accurate. Sunderland are about to enter the type of schedule where even a deep squad can suddenly look stretched. But this is precisely why that squad was built. The injury is rotten luck for Ballard and an unwanted headache for Le Bris. It is not, however, the end of the world for Sunderland, though they cannot afford too many more issues at centre-back.