Dan Ballard injury worry as double Sunderland transfer story emerges during Hull City game – moments missed

Sunderland’s preparations for the Premier League continued with a competitive pre-season outing against Hull City at the MKM Stadium – and as always, there were plenty of moments beyond the main headlines that told their own story.

From touchline reactions to off-the-ball flashes and player interactions, here are the bits you might’ve missed before, during and after the Black Cats’ clash against the Tigers in East Yorkshire on Tuesday evening during pre-season:

Le Bris makes two changes at Hull City – team news explained

Harrison Jones came in at left-back in place of Niall Huggins, who was named among the substitutes and remained in contention to feature later in the game. There was also a return to the starting XI for Habib Diarra, with Dan Neil dropping to the bench.

As expected, there was no involvement for Anthony Patterson, Chris Rigg, or Wilson Isidor due to injury. Isidor is expected to return in time for Sunderland’s final pre-season fixture against Real Betis at the Stadium of Light. Anthony Patterson and Chris Rigg, meanwhile, continued to race against time to be fit for the start of the Premier League campaign, with Le Bris suggesting on Saturday that both were around ten days from full fitness.

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Reinildo Mandava remained absent as he built up match sharpness, though Sunderland remained confident he would be ready for the opening weekend. Defenders Nectar Triantis and Zak Johnson were also missing once again after sitting out the defeat to Hearts, with Le Bris having confirmed that Triantis was dealing with a minor issue.

Sunderland starting XI: Moore; Hume, Ballard, Seelt, Harrison Jones, Sadiki, Diarra; Talbi, Le Fée, Adingra, Mayenda.

Sunderland subs: Nna Noukeu, Huggins, Neil, Ogunsuyi, Roberts, Browne, Tutierov, Abdullahi, Aleksic, Lavery, Jenson Jones (every player aside from Nna Noukeu was brought on in the second half).

Sunderland transfer twist breaks pre-match at Hull City

Shortly before kick-off at the MKM Stadium, fresh reports emerged linking Sunderland with a move for Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Amine Adli.

According to ESPN’s Julien Laurens, the Black Cats are ready to rival Wolves for the Morocco international, who is valued at around £23million. The update came as Sunderland edged closer to sealing a deal for Granit Xhaka, with the midfielder expected to join from the Bundesliga champions for an initial fee of £13million, potentially rising to £17million with add-ons.

Adli, who can play across the front line but has often featured off the left, is seen as a potential solution in a position Sunderland are actively looking to strengthen following Romaine Mundle’s hamstring injury and the collapse of a move for Armand Laurienté.

Ortega transfer update emerges mid-game at MKM

As Sunderland were taking on Hull City at the MKM Stadium, a fresh update on their goalkeeper search broke elsewhere – with Fabrizio Romano reporting that Manchester City had informed Stefan Ortega he was free to leave the club this summer.

The news followed City’s £27million move to bring James Trafford back from Burnley, which now appears to have opened the door for Ortega to depart. Sunderland have been linked with the 31-year-old German, though no formal approach has been made.

The Black Cats are in the market for an experienced goalkeeper ahead of their Premier League return, and Ortega – widely respected for his calm distribution and cup-final pedigree – is one reportedly of several names under consideration.

Ballard takes knock as defensive concerns linger

There was a moment of concern midway through the first half when Dan Ballard went down following what appeared to be an accidental elbow to the face in the 19th minute. The centre-back received treatment and looked shaken initially, but was able to continue after a brief pause in play.

With Jenson Seelt the only other fit senior centre-half currently available, Ballard’s knock served as another reminder of Sunderland’s lack of depth in central defence. The Black Cats eventually fell to a 2–1 defeat, further underlining the case for reinforcements in that area before the Premier League season begins.

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