Liverpool photos hint at Jayden Danns' current injury situation as Sunderland await loanee's return to fitness

Sunderland loanee Jayden Danns has been pictured with his Liverpool teammates at the club’s training facilities as his future with the Black Cats continues to be uncertain.

Danns signed for the Black Cats on deadline day after a medical revealed a back issue that required a period of rest and recovery. Danns is currently undergoing his treatment at Liverpool’s training base.

However, despite having signed for Sunderland over two months ago, there hasn’t yet been any indication as to when the attacking player will make his Black Cats debut. With seven games left of the regular Championship season, some fans have begun to wonder whether the Liverpool man will play for the Wearsiders this season.

Danns was pictured with Liverpool’s U21s side as the club put out photos of their young stars socialising before an open training session which was also photographed. Danns was snapped with his teammates around a pool table but there are no shots of the England youth international in full training on the grass with his fellow starlets, which could suggest that his return to action is still not upon us.

The very fact that Danns remains at Liverpool’s training ground and not with Sunderland is also likely a clear indication that the player is not yet closing in on being available to Régis Le Bris at the Academy of Light ahead of the Championship run-in.

Will Jayden Danns play for Sunderland this season?

Asked if Jayden Danns would play for Sunderland this season, Le Bris before last month’s game against Millwall: “We're not at this point right now, but the season is running, so it would be difficult. We don't know exactly. We managed different problems and this is one more. Probably because now we have Eli and Wilson available, it's not a big problem and we have other problems and other parts in the squad but here it wasn't too complicated.”

What else has Le Bris said about Jayden Danns?

“We are trying to build a connection with Jayden and the team,” Le Bris said in February. “Of course, it is not easy while he is injured and we don't know how long [before he returns], so we try to keep the connection and then we will see, maybe in one month he will be available. We have to see. I've spoken with him, absolutely. He is having his treatment at Liverpool but we are doing what we can to build that connection for when he is ready.”

What did Kristjaan Speakman say about Jayden Danns’ loan deal?

Speaking after Danns signed on deadline day, sporting director Kristjaan Speakman said that the late discovery of the injury, which no party had previously been aware of, left Sunderland with little time to source another striker.

He said: “Jayden was a player we really wanted to sign and it was just really unfortunate, at the very end we uncovered something. He was fully training, playing... and now he's going to have rest for a period of time. When it comes at a very late hour, it becomes very difficult for us to find an alternative. We had a really good discussion with Liverpool about the way forward and he can hopefully come and join us at some stage. For us it wasn't just about adding numbers to the group, it was about quality and personality. Jayden met both of that criteria.

“Players have to have the physical, technical and tactical qualities to fit into the way we play. For players that are available in January, what they are seeking first and foremost most of the time is game time. We have a nine who is performing really, really and another nine in Eliezer who has played in some different positions and also has an incredible record with goal contributions this season. Finding someone comfortable coming into that setting isn't easy, because I can understand that they know they won't be the number one choice from day one. And I don't think there is any doubt that Wilson deserves to be the number one choice.

“So at the minute, we felt that we've added what was the ideal player in Jayden. So there's obvious disappointment that Jayden is going to be unavailable initially, but that's sometimes how it goes in a transfer window. That's why you have the tests, to pick up these things. Unfortunately there are a lot of decisions made in the last segment of the transfer window, and that doesn't leave you with a lot of room to manoeuvre when you discover some information that you didn't previously know.”

Your next Sunderland read: Régis Le Bris confirms and explains Enzo Le Fée plan as Sunderland loanee makes comeback