Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris has confirmed that defender Dan Ballard will miss the upcoming festive period through injury.
It’s been a stop-start campaign thus far for the 25-year-old. He missed the start of the season after having surgery on a knee injury in the summer. He then suffered an ankle issue in September, sending him to the treatment table until November.
The Northern Ireland international looked to have put his injury problems behind him in recent weeks, starting Sunderland’s last seven league games. He has played a key role for the Black Cats as they continue their unlikely promotion challenge, scoring in the last two outings against Swansea City and Norwich City.
Concerns were raised though when he was substituted late on in the victory over the Canaries, prompting fears that another spell on the sidelines was on the horizon.
Regis Le Bris Confirms Ballard Absence
With the busy festive period set to kick off on Boxing Day, Le Bris took to the media to confirm Ballard will be absent for trip to fellow promotion contenders Blackburn Rovers. Via The Sunderland Echo, the 49-year-old said:
“He won’t be available on Thursday.
“It’s difficult to say how long he will be out exactly, probably two weeks at least. Maybe a little bit more.”
This news means that Sunderland will be without the centre-back for a minimum of four games, starting with the clash at Ewood Park. The Wearsiders then travel to Stoke City on December 29th before an important clash against Sheffield United at the Stadium of Light on New Year’s Day.
Portsmouth’s visit to the North East on January 5th may come too soon, but with the FA Cup third round tie against Stoke scheduled for the 11th, Ballard may be targeting a return to Championship action for the potential six-pointer against Burnley at Turf Moor on January 17th.
Writer’s View
Dan Ballard just isn’t getting the rub of the green this season. He is now set for his third spell of the campaign on the injury table. You have to sympathise with the former Arsenal youngster though. None of the injuries are related and this appears to just be a case of bad luck. Regis Le Bris will be hoping the latest setback isn’t too serious though as he looks to maintain Sunderland’s promotion challenge during the second half of the season.
Head of Writing
