Sunderland midfielder Corry Evans gives an injury update and explains next steps

Corry Evans has given a promising injury update as Sunderland's captain looks to make an impact on the 2023/24 campaign.

Evans suffered an ACL injury in the early stages of the win over Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light earlier this year, and will not be fit for the start of the new season.

Tony Mowbray has previously said that the experienced midfielder could return around the festive period, and the 32-year-old says he has been making positive strides over the summer.

He hopes to be out running outdoors in the weeks ahead.

"I've been in [the gym] all summer," Evans told safc.com.

"There have been a few of us in - myself, Ross [Stewart], Aji [Alese], Dennis [Cirkin], Danny Batth, Dan Ballard, Embo [Elliot Embleton] - there has been a big group of us.

"The other lads have been off on holiday while we have been in working and trying to get fit for the new season. Mentally it's tough being injured, especially long-term, so to have people going through it with you day-to-day helps you a lot.

"There are long hours and it can get a bit lonely if you're on your own, so to have those players alongside me with their own injuries and their own journeys has been a bit of a support network. But it's going well. I'm just over five months into it now and I'm getting to that stage where I'm starting to move a bit more.

"The first stage of this injury is letting the knee settle, and from then on you have to build up the strength. I'm at a good stage now where I am on the altered gravity treadmill which takes the load off your bodyweight when you are running.

"Hopefully within the next week or two I can get outside on the grass and get out of the gym for a change of scenery and to start my running."

Evans has been a stalwart of the Sunderland side over the last two seasons and as it stands Dan Neil is the only other player with any real experience in a holding midfield role in the squad.