Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris has said they will assess Dan Ballard and Eliezer Mayenda ahead of their upcoming Championship fixtures.
Sunderland left the pair out of their squad over the weekend at Vicarage Road against Watford due to injuries. They went on to lose 2-1 to Watford.
Ballard, 25, has an ankle problem, while Mayenda, 19, has a muscular issue. They will be checked over the next 24 hours as the Black Cats prepare to welcome Derby County to the Stadium of Light on Tuesday night.
If they aren’t ready to face the Rams, Friday’s home clash against Leeds United may be a more realistic return date for the pair. In this latest update regarding their conditions, Le Bris said, as per a report by the Northern Echo: “They are injured. But we’ll see for the next game. Eliezer has a muscle injury, it’s not really serious but we’ll have to see (whether he can face Derby).”
Sunderland injury latest
Getting Ballard back would be a boost for Sunderland, as he is a key player for them in defence.
He joined the North East outfit in 2022 on a permanent basis from Arsenal. The centre-back rose up through the academy ranks of the Gunners but never made a senior appearance for the Premier League giants.
Instead, he was loaned out to Swindon Town, Blackpool and Millwall to gain experience before the Black Cats came calling.
Ballard has since played 69 games for his current club in all competitions and has chipped in with three goals from the back.
As for Mayenda, the striker has started this campaign well. The teenager moved to England in July last year and initially took a while to adapt.
He was loaned out to Hibernian last term to get some game time up in Edinburgh before returning to Sunderland for pre-season.
The attacker has enjoyed a new lease of life under Le Bris and has found the net twice so far.
What now?
Sunderland have a decision to make on whether to play Ballard and/or Mayenda against Derby County.
They will be looking to return to winning ways against the Rams.
