Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris has stated that they will assess Dan Ballard and Eliezer Mayenda ahead of their upcoming Championship matches.
Both players were excluded from the squad for the weekend’s game at Vicarage Road against Watford due to injuries, where Sunderland suffered a 2-1 defeat.
Ballard, 25, is dealing with an ankle issue, while Mayenda, 19, is nursing a muscular injury. Both players will be assessed over the next 24 hours as Sunderland prepares to host Derby County at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday night.
If they are not fit in time for the Derby clash, a more likely return for the pair could be Friday’s home game against Leeds United. In a recent update on their conditions, Le Bris said, according to 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
He joined the North East club in 2022 on a permanent deal from Arsenal. Despite coming up through the Gunners’ academy, the center-back never made a senior appearance for the Premier League side.
Instead, he was loaned to Swindon Town, Blackpool, and Millwall to gain experience before the Black Cats came calling.
Ballard has since made 69 appearances for his current club across all competitions, contributing three goals from the backline.
On the other hand, Mayenda has had a strong start to the current season. The young striker moved to England in July last year and initially faced challenges in adapting. He was loaned to Hibernian last season to secure some playing time in Edinburgh before returning to Sunderland for pre-season.
The attacker has thrived under Le Bris, scoring twice so far this season.
Sunderland now faces a decision on whether to include Ballard and/or Mayenda in their lineup against Derby County, as they aim to get back to winning ways against the Rams.