This weekend, Sunderland will resume play in the Championship, and reporter James Hunter has provided an important injury update on a few players.
Who is hurt right now at Sunderland?
After a spectacular 5-0 victory over highly-favored Southampton at home in their most recent game at the Stadium of Light, the Black Cats have gone nearly a fortnight without playing due to the long international break.
Tony Mowbray’s team will go to Queens Park Rangers on Saturday in an effort to keep up their recent success. Their opponents, who have two victories and three losses through their first five games, are now ranked 17th in the table.
Aji Alese and new attacker Eliezer Mayenda haven’t played a single minute of Championship action between them in 2023–24, therefore Sunderland has had to make due without two important players this season.
An updated status regarding the availability of the pair has now been revealed ahead of Saturday’s trip to west London.
Will the Sunderland pair be ready to play QPR?
Alese and Mayenda could resume full training later this month, according to Hunter of The Chronicle, so even if they won’t compete this weekend, they are both making steady progress:
Two individuals are barely weeks away from returning to full training and could play a part in #safc’s Championship campaign, which is good news on the injury front.
The report itself provides more information, stating:
Within a fortnight, Aji Alese and summer acquisition Eliezer Mayenda might resume full training and play a role in Sunderland’s Championship campaign before the end of the month’s international break. Alese, a defender, has been out ever since he aggravated a thigh injury by playing in Sunderland’s play-off semifinal second leg against Luton Town.
And Spanish attacker Mayenda, who joined the Black Cats from French team Sochaux at the end of July, was unable to participate because of a hamstring injury he sustained in his very first training session with the team. Both players are working out with the club’s medical staff, according to head coach Tony Mowbray, although they might take part in first team practices before the end of September.
Even though it’s not ideal for Sunderland to be without Alese and Mayenda for the match against QPR on Saturday, this still needs to be seen as a positive development for the club overall.
Mowbray’s quality and depth might really benefit from having the pair back by the end of the month as the Black Cats try to improve.
The former contributed to the team’s victory last season by participating in 21 Championships and contributing one goal and one assist each, while the latter signed from the French team Sochaux in the summer and is still trying to establish himself as a talented 18-year-old player.
Although neither is likely to be among the first names on Sunderland’s team sheet, having a wide range of choices is crucial during a long and demanding domestic season, and both Alese and Mayenda may play significant roles between now and next May.
