'We'll get through this together': Max Power's passionate message to Sunderland fans amid fixture blackout

All League One fixtures have currently been suspended until April 30 amid the coronavirus outbreak, with the Sunderland squad having been given extended leave from the Academy of Light owing to the series of postponements.

And while Power – who has captained the side since the turn of the year – admits he is missing the ‘buzz’ of regular football, he knows this issue transcends far beyond football.

Indeed, he had a strong message for Sunderland supporters facing uncertainty during these testing times.

In a passionate post on his Twitter account, Power said: “Missing the games, my team-mates and the buzz we all feel ahead of every weekend, but this is so much more important than football.

“Take care of your friends and family, and look after the many others in need as well. If we all listen to the advice being given, we’ll get through this together.

“Remain positive, tough times don’t last, tough people do #SAFC”

Power and his Sunderland teammates have been absent from the Academy of Light this week, having been granted an extended break by manager Phil Parkinson.

Parkinson and his staff were set to hold a conference call on Friday afternoon to map out the club’s next steps in regards to training, with a number of other clubs having already insisted that players train individually rather than as a group.