Lee Johnson confirms six-week injury set-back in blow to Sunderland but provides positive Luke O'Nien update

The talented and versatile full-back withdrew from Wales U21 duty in October with a back complaint with scans revealing that Huggins had suffered the onset of a stress fracture.

Johnson had expected the former Leeds United youngster to be out for a minimum of three months but that timeframe has been extended.

Huggins has made a major impression in his four senior appearances since signing earlier this summer, and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 league win over Cheltenham Town.

“In terms of Niall Huggins, he’s going to be an extra six weeks. A bit of a setback there,” Johnson explained. “It is disappointing. It just hasn’t fused as well as we would have liked it to. Therefore it is another six weeks.

“Bless him. He has been coming to all of the games and he’s watching all the post-match reviews.

“We love him and we love him about the place but we feel sorry for him but at the same time, he has a long career ahead of him.

“We need to make sure he is right as rain to play for the next 15 years, not just the next 15 days.

“Originally it was a three-month injury but it’s plus another six weeks now, which is frustrating.”

Johnson, though, was more positive regarding Luke O’Nien, who went under the knife earlier this week to repair a shoulder injury.

"It [the surgery] went well. We have managed to speak to the surgeon and he did have a tear as we know but it was a substantial tear.

"But at the same time, he is very confident and happy that he has repaired it well. The process now is six weeks in the sling and then six weeks in rehab without being able to step foot on the grass.

“Then it is at the head physio’s discretion really in terms of how hard he pushes it and how early that contact comes to build up the confidence levels and the strength of that joint.”

"If he comes back in 13 weeks, he’s done extremely well.”

O’Nien has been deployed in a number of positions during his time at the club.

And the 27-year-old is also seen as part of Sunderland’s leadership group, a quality his head coach is keen to see O’Nien develop.

"You always miss a player like Luke O’Nien,” Johnson admitted. “He is infectious. Which is sometimes good and sometimes bad. But mainly good.

"He buzzes about the place and he lifts the spirits of people. That’s why we have got him in the squad and that’s why we went the whole nine yards to keep him [in the summer] because of his versatility and his personality.

"We want him to drive the standards and lead by example in the extras that he does and the professionalism that he brings and that will have to be the same now, he can still add a lot even though he’s not going to set foot on the hallowed turf.

"He has got to really hone in on the leadership qualities and potentially we can help him become a better leader than he already is.”

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