Head coach Tony Mowbray has been able to welcome some first-team players back into his squad over the summer after several were sidelined at the end of the last campaign. Some players also missed Sunderland’s pre-season US tour as they continue to recover from injury setbacks.
Here are the players who have been sidelined in recent weeks and their situations ahead of Sunderland’s fourth league game of the 2023-24 season against Coventry City away from home this weekend:
9. Eliezer Mayenda
Eliezer Mayenda suffered a hamstring injury in his first training session with the club and is now set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Photo: Chris Fryatt
10. Jenson Seelt
Jenson Seelt is yet to make his Sunderland debut after picking up an injury. "Jenson feels as if he's only a couple of weeks away, which is a positive," Mowbray said before Preston. "But I'm not sitting here thinking they'll be OK for Rotherham, they're going to be a couple of weeks and maybe after the international break by the time they've got some U21s minutes and trained with us enough to be ready for the first team." Photo: Sunderland AFC
11. Aji Alese
The Sunderland defender underwent surgery over the summer and has missed Sunderland's pre-season and start to the Championship and isn't expected to return yet. Photo: ADRIAN DENNIS