SUNDERLAND HIT WITH DOUBLE INJURY BLOW AHEAD OF GOOD FRIDAY CLASH WITH HULL CITY

Sunderland have been rocked by a double injury blow ahead of their Good Friday clash with Hull City at the Stadium of Light next weekend.

Jewison Bennette and Dan Ballard both returned from the international break with problems that will see them sidelined in what will be a real blow to Sunderland's faint hopes of claiming a place in the Championship's top six.

Bennette is expected to be out for the remainder of the campaign after dislocating his shoulder in training with Costa Rica, while central defender Ballard left Northern Ireland's defeat to Finland early with a hamstring issue which is likely to keep him out for around three weeks.

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"He's dislocated his shoulder. Jewi is finished for the season, I think," Mowbray explained ahead of Friday night's clash with runaway leaders Burnley.

"I'm not a medic but it probably needs an operation and pinning, otherwise you think you're all right and then the first time you fall over in pre-season you dislocate it again and it's another three months.

“We’ll assess it once he gets back in the building but from their medical department, the update is he has dislocated his shoulder in training.”

Defender Ballard, meanwhile, faces up to three weeks out with a hamstring problem sustained during Northern Ireland’s 1-0 defeat by Finland on Sunday.

"I'm not getting upset about injuries. It's part and parcel of football. We have to get on with it. We've got some pretty key players unavailable but we'll be fine, let's be positive. It's an opportunity for other lads to show what they can do."

It was hoped Elliott Embleton, who broke his ankle against City in the 1-1 draw at the MKM Stadium over Christmas, would be back for the run-in, but that now looks unlikely.

"He's not on the radar really. He is walking around the building - I saw him the other day and he was moving all right and he said he felt good. But I wouldn't anticipate we are going to see him."

The Black Cats could, however, welcome back Dennis Cirkin and Niall Huggins following their respective spells out with a concussion and an ankle problem.

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2023-03-30T10:02:43Z dg43tfdfdgfd