Fresh Sunderland injury concern leaves Mike Dodds weighing up a major selection challenge for QPR clash

Mike Dodds is facing a major selection dilemma as he bids to end Sunderland's losing run after picking up yet another injury concern in defence.

Sunderland are understood to be monitoring an injury to Jenson Seelt, who has started the club's last four fixtures and would have almost certainly have been selected on Saturday given that Luke O'Nien will serve the second game of his suspension for picking up ten yellow cards across the season so far. The extent of Seelt's injury is not known at this stage but he is a major doubt for QPR's visit to the Stadium of Light this weekend.

It further compounds Dodds' already significant issues in that part of the pitch, with Dan Ballard also a doubt after picking up a hamstring injury during the 4-2 defeat to Southampton. Ballard initially tried to play on, but quickly realised that he would not be able to. Dodds is not expecting any other senior players back in time for this weekend's fixture, and so if Seelt and Ballard are absent then Leo Hjelde will be the only available centre half in the squad. Hjelde moved across to that position after Ballard's injury at St Mary's on Saturday, but has primarily operated as a full back since his January transfer from Leeds United.

Should Ballard or Seelt or both be unavailable, then Dodds will likely have to move Trai Hume infield and hand a first Championship start to Timothée Pembélé. 18-year-old defender Tom Lavery has been on the bench in recent weeks after impressing Dodds in training, but he is yet to make a senior appearance.

Dodds hopes the club's major injury issues will begin to ease after the international break, when the likes of Patrick Roberts, Aji Alese, Bradley Dack and others should begin filtering back into the side.