Heartbroken Sunderland loanee Elliot Embleton leaves Derby County after severe injury during loan spell

Elliot Embleton has returned to Sunderland after suffering a severe injury which has effectively ended his loan spell at Derby.

The 24-year-old midfielder signed for The Rams on transfer deadline day and made his debut after coming off the bench during a 1-1 draw against Portsmouth earlier this month.

Yet Embleton, who missed the second half of last season due to a long-term ankle issue, wasn’t named in the Derby squad for last weekend’s match at Carlisle after sustaining another injury in training.

“I knew it was severe last Friday because I went into the doctor’s room where he was laying down,” said Derby boss Paul Warne. “He was in tears. I tapped him and told him I was sorry but he had no recollection of me going in the room because that’s how much of a dark place he was in bless him.

“He went for the scan and it’s severe. I think he will need surgical repair. I saw him in the car park on Tuesday because he came in to say goodbye to everyone. He is going to do his rehab back up in Sunderland because he is going to be out for a few months.

“He was just broken and I think people appreciate that playing football is a massive honour, but you work so hard and you dedicate every day to it. To work so hard to come back from the other injury and then go so far down the rehab, get minutes in and then minutes in the first team and build up to play the way he wanted to play and express himself - he was hugely excited by that.

“To have that ripped away from him again in what is a freak injury is heartbreaking for him. I hugged him in the car park and felt for him. Hopefully, our careers will meet again soon.”

It’s been reported that Derby will still make a contribution to Embleton’s wages this season, after the midfielder signed a season-long loan deal at Pride Park.

The 24-year-old still has two years left on his contract at Sunderland.