Lee Johnson gives this update as Sunderland COVID cases put Wycombe game at risk

As it stands the head coach remains hopeful that the Black Cats will be able to play, but that there are two rounds of testing between now and the game means it is impossible to be certain.

Current guidance from the EFL is that games should go ahead when clubs have 14 eligible players, including one goalkeeper, available for selection.

A player is eligible if they have been named on the club’s squad list, or if they are U21 and have played a senior league game.

Injuries have left Sunderland quite close to that mark at times through recent weeks, and though Carl Winchester is expected to return this week, Johnson suggested he had further issues on this front.

The club has also had a significant number of positive COVID-19 tests over the last week, and The Echo understands that at this point one further player being ruled out of the trip to Wycombe would leave Sunderland at the stage of potentially missing the criteria to play.

The crucial factor is whether some players who had had the virus will return a negative lateral flow result in the coming days, allowing them to leave isolation and potentially feature.

“It feels like it’s closing in on us a little bit,” Johnson said.

"We have got a few, I won’t lie to you so we’ve got to see exactly what we can do to churn it around going into Saturday.

“I am worried about the game, to be honest. Just because you don’t know what’s going to happen from hour to hour.

"It’s very tricky to manage, it feels like it’s bad news every time there’s a knock on my door.

“I just don’t know at this stage. There is a risk [of the game being off], and at this stage I would say it’s a low to medium to risk, but there is a risk.”

West Ham United loanee Frederik Alves is one of the players to have tested positive, which means discussions over his future will now likely take place later in the window.

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