When every injured Sunderland player is expected to return ahead of Hull City clash
Sunderland have a number of injury issues to consider as they prepare to face Hull City
After a fortnight off for the international break, Sunderland are back in action this weekend, when they face Hull City in the Championship.
In many respects, the break has come at a good time for the Black Cats, who may now be able to welcome back a handful of injured players to the fold following a period of recovery. But who is on the verge of a return, and who will have a while longer to wait?
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Aaron Connolly
The Irishman continues to work his way back towards full match fitness, and has impressed with three goals in two outings for the U21s over the international break. He lasted a little over 70 minutes as the Black Cats beat Huddersfield Town in midweek, and all being well, he could be in line to make his first team debut against former club Hull City this weekend.
Dan Ballard
Ballard has struggled to build up any real momentum this season due to injury setbacks, but his withdrawal from Northern Ireland’s squad this international break should have given him a decent opportunity to properly recover from an ongoing ankle issue. Should be in contention to make the squad against Hull.
Eliezer Mayenda
The Spaniard was in fine form before picking up a minor muscle problem that sidelined him prior to the international break, but the emphasis has always been on how “minor” that injury is, and the expectation is that he should be raring to go against Hull on Sunday.
Salis Abdul Samed
Sunderland supporters are still yet to get a glimpse of their summer signing, and there are still no concrete indications as to when the midfielder is expected to make his debut in red and white. Samed has taken part in some training sessions, but the Black Cats are likely to take a very cautious approach with him, and the fact that he still hasn’t featured for the U21s in any capacity would suggest that he is still a little way off being ready.
Ian Poveda
Poveda’s Sunderland career has already been hamstrung by injury, and following his latest setback - a muscle problem sustained during the recent win over Derby County - he is set to miss between four and six weeks of action. That would take the winger up to the November international break, meaning that it is likely to be some time before we see him back in red and white.
Aji Alese
The defender started the campaign admirably at the heart of Sunderland’s defence before suffering an ankle injury that was initially expected to keep him out for around three months. Like Poveda, the November international break feels like a workable target, although it could take longer for proper match fitness to be rebuilt.
Ahmed Abdullahi
Another summer signing who Sunderland fans are still yet to see in action, the young striker arrived with a groin problem that ultimately required surgery. The prognosis was a 12-week lay-off, meaning that he could be fit to debut during the busy festive period.
Niall Huggins
After suffering a major knee injury last season, the full-back is not expected to be back in contention until after the new year.
Jenson Seelt
And finally, a bit of good news regarding Seelt, who has spotted back out on the grass in training over the past day or two. Still some way off a return from a nasty knee problem, but certainly, he is making steady progress.