The interesting Sunderland defensive dilemma Tony Mowbray will soon face after injury boost

Defender Daniel Ballard stepped up his recovery from a foot by playing 60 minutes for the under-21s side on Monday and is now targeting a first-team return.

Yet the summer signing is likely to face a challenge getting back into Sunderland’s starting XI, after over four months on the sidelines.

We’ve taken a closer look at Mowbray’s defensive options:

Danny Batth

Arguably Sunderland’s player of the season so far and the team’s first-choice centre-back as things stand.

Batth had to be patient after moving to Wearside in January as he was sidelined with an ankle injury, yet he proved to be a key player at the end of the campaign as the team won promotion from League One.

This season the 32-year-old’s experience and aerial presence, in a side consisting of several smaller technical players, has been crucial.

Batth is Sunderland’s only outfield player to start every league game in the Championship since the side’s return to the second tier.

Luke O’Nien

Sunderland have predominantly set up with a back four under Mowbray, with O’Nien often taking up the second centre-back slot.

The 27-year-old has formed an effective partnership with Batth and offers more mobility in the Black Cats’ backline.

O’Nien has also shown his ability in possession when trying to play out from the back and making long diagonal passes.

After joining Sunderland as a midfielder, O’Nien has often said he’s happy to play in any position.

It will be interesting to see if he continues to be picked at centre-back when other recognised options become available.

Daniel Ballard

The 22-year-old was Sunderland’s main defensive signing in the summer, arriving for a seven-figure fee from Arsenal, and impressed in pre-season.

Yet Ballard has made just three senior appearances for the Black Cats after fracturing his foot against QPR back in August.

At the start of the season Ballard was playing on the right of a back three under former boss Alex Neil, while he has predominantly played in a similar system while on loan at Millwall during the last campaign.

Ballard has also operated in a back four and will hope to be a key part of Sunderland’s defence for the next few years, after signing a three-year deal on Wearside.

Still, there is currently competition for places.

Aji Alese

After arriving from West Ham in the summer, Alese has provided healthy competition for Dennis Cirkin at left-back.

The 21-year-old often played as a centre-back for The Hammers’ youth team, though, and offers a left-footed option which could bring more balance to the side.

Alese started as a left-sided centre-back alongside Batth at Blackburn before picking up an ankle injury.

It could be a combination Mowbray goes back to later in the campaign.

Bailey Wright

Despite playing a key part at the end of last season, the Australian centre-back has made just four Championship starts this term.

Wright’s mentality has regularly earned praise from Mowbray, and the centre-back was recalled for a handful of games before Sunderland’s World Cup break – when O’Nien was either suspended or moved to right-back.

Wright has found himself out of Sunderland’s starting XI before and won his place back. Now he will try and do so again.