Sunderland’s injury concerns may force Michael Beale’s hand in the transfer market – particularly should they suffer any further setbacks in key areas.
Patrick Roberts, Dennis Cirkin, Niall Huggins and Bradley Dack are just some of the names missing from Beale’s squad currently, whilst club captain Corry Evans continues to return from a serious knee injury picked up a year ago.
In what has been a busy welcoming period for Beale, with such a high volume of games since his arrival a week before Christmas, the Sunderland head coach has, perhaps, been forced to turn down one or two blind alleys when it comes to selections in terms of square pegs being in round holes.
The season-ending injury picked up by full-back Huggins was instrumental in that as it gave Beale no alternative but to persist with Trai Hume on the left of a back four against both Hull City and Rotherham United. Jenson Seelt, one of Sunderland’s summer signings, filled in at right-back in both of those games until the timely return of Aji Alese in the New Year’s Day win over Preston North End allowed Hume to move back over to his more natural right-back position.
Alese, however, is only just returning from a lengthy injury lay-off himself, having last featured in Sunderland’s semi-final second leg defeat to Luton Town in last season’s Championship play-offs. The defender has completed back-to-back 90 minutes against Ipswich Town and Newcastle United after negotiating 70 minutes against Preston on his return.
But Beale has almost been forced into throwing Alese back into the mix rather than phase his return – given his desire to keep Hume on the right.
Likewise, Beale has had to shuffle things around in the absence of Roberts after the winger was forced off in the draw with Rotherham. Alex Pritchard has been the main man to step into the right-sided attacking role prior to Abdoullah Ba starting there at Portman Road.
Beale continues to rely on a variation of his midfield trio which includes Dan Neil, Pierre Ekwah and Jobe Bellingham – Ekwah remaining one of a core of 12 Sunderland players to have featured in over 1,000 minutes this season despite missing over a month of the campaign in the autumn.
It’s evident then that Sunderland are having to go to the well frequently with certain players. That, in turn, means there is likely to be an impact when one of those players misses out through injury.
But what of those who are missing, and when are they likely to be back?
READ MORE:
- Striker chants should serve as a warning to Sunderland
- Did Sunderland miss a trick in not signing Liverpool's Fabio Carvalho?
- Hull game could be key for Sunderland
Niall Huggins
Huggins had been one of Sunderland’s star players this season after the former Leeds United man appeared to have put his injury nightmares behind him. The 23-year-old started 17 of his 19 appearances having cemented his spot in the starting XI after September’s international break.
The Welshman scored his first goal for the club with a fabulous solo effort in the 2-0 win over Watford and provided options at either full-back position having demonstrated he was adept in both.
Huggins, however, was hit with what the club described as ‘a significant knee injury’ in Beale’s first game in charge against Coventry City with the young defender now likely to be out for over a year. Huggins signed for Sunderland in the summer of 2021 but has been limited to just 28 appearances due to several injury setbacks throughout his time in the North East.
"Niall has had surgery and we won’t see him for the best part of a year, maybe a little bit more, which is really disappointing because he was having a great year," said Beale. "I don’t want to talk about any of the long words [in terms of the injury] because I’m not a long word person, but it’s as bad as it could have been.
“The surgery was good, he’s been back in and we’ve all seen him, but he was a boy, from the outside, when I watched the team I was really excited to work with. That made for a really lousy day, I’m gutted for him.”
Dennis Cirkin
Although hugely significant, Huggins’ injury might have been slightly easier to deal with had Cirkin not suffered a further setback himself.
The former Tottenham Hotspur man last featured in the 3-1 win over Birmingham City at the Stadium of Light but, having expected him to return in the near future, the club recently revealed the 21-year-old will miss the majority of the rest of the season having undergone surgery on a hamstring problem after he ‘didn’t feel quite right’ upon his return to training.
Cirkin, like Huggins, joined in the summer of 2021 and has been instrumental in the club’s rise over that time. The left-back had, arguably, his most influential appearance in the 2-1 win over West Bromwich Albion last season when scoring twice to help Sunderland on their way to a play-off spot.
Cirkin’s impact last season led to the defender being handed a new three-year contract on Wearside until 2026. But his absence for a minimum of 12-weeks leaves another potential gap to plug in Sunderland’s defensive areas – particularly, as Beale said, should they pick up any more injuries.
“I’ve only worked with Dennis for one or two days so that’s hugely disappointing,” said Beale.
“We’ve got Aji who is playing there at the moment and Trai, and then we’ve got Timothee Pembele, who is one that we’re quite excited about, but he needs to pick up a little bit on his fitness.
“When everyone is available we’ve got fantastic options, but losing the two [Cirkin and Huggins] is going to make us think.
“If we were to take another injury for sure [we’d look at the market] but with young Jenson Seelt, who did ever so well away at Hull, and Nectar Triantis training well, we’ve got options to go to a back three also. I’ve come in and they’ve been two real surprises to me so maybe we’ll see a change of shape at some point.
“I don’t want to move Trai around too much, so it was welcome that Aji came back fit. But the game against Newcastle was his first 90 minutes in a long, long time as well.”
Patrick Roberts
Roberts is another who has proved to be a major signing for Sunderland following his arrival two years ago - the winger’s strike in the second leg of the club’s League One play-off semi-final against Sheffield Wednesday a particular highlight.
Roberts is also another who the club have managed to tie down to a new deal after the 26-year-old extended his stay at the Stadium of Light until 2026 back in November.
The talent Roberts possesses is undeniable, despite the winger not putting up the numbers the club would hope for in terms of outright goals and assists this season – that overlooking his impact in moving Sunderland up the field in the final third and ‘assisting the assist.’
Roberts has been missing since December’s 1-1 draw with Rotherham after coming off inside the opening quarter-of-an-hour with a calf problem when clearing the ball. Beale hinted he would not be taking any risks with the former Manchester City and Celtic man before disclosing the extent of the injury following the defeat to Newcastle in the FA Cup.
“Paddy will be out for the remainder of this month – we hope to have him back at some point in February,” said Beale.
"He has a problem with his calf and it's probably a three or four weeker. We can't rush him because by the end of the season we are going to need everyone fit and firing. It's unfortunate because I think Paddy is someone who could help us.”
Bradley Dack
Roberts’ calf injury came just days after Beale also lost the experience of Dack in his attacking third when he went off injured in the win over Hull.
Dack was deployed up front by Beale on Humberside and he complemented Jobe, Roberts and Jack Clarke well in the early stages as a front four out of possession to help nullify Hull. But Dack, who joined on a free transfer following his exit from Blackburn Rovers in the summer, was taken off on the stroke of half-time after over-stretching to win back possession resulted in a hamstring injury.
"Bradley has a hamstring injury that will be around four weeks at best, but that's probably the best possible diagnosis that we could have got,” Beale later confirmed on the 30-year-old.
"I feel for Brad because he has missed a lot of football over the last couple of years and even this season it has been stop-start [for him]."
Dack’s time on Wearside has been difficult after a challenging period with injuries in his career over the last few years. The advanced midfielder scored his only goal for the club in the 5-0 win over Southampton back in September but has largely featured as a substitute in his time on Wearside.
But with Sunderland’s attacking problems, coupled with the reluctance, at times, of fielding one of the club’s four summer striker additions, Dack’s absence is more significant than maybe is given credit for – particularly having contributed to Beale’s first away game at Hull.
Elliot Embleton
Elliot Embleton was sent out on loan to Derby County this season in the hope of rebuilding his fitness after what has been a difficult 12-month period for the 24-year-old.
Embleton, a product of the club’s academy, was beginning to find himself a regular spot in Sunderland’s squad last season under former head coach Tony Mowbray before his campaign was cut short with a serious leg injury in the 1-1 draw with Hull in December 2022.
Embleton had been working his way back to full-fitness with the decision made to continue that progression in League One with Derby before the midfielder suffered a thigh injury after just two appearances for the Rams. Embleton returned to the Academy of Light and underwent surgery in the autumn on the problem.
“It’s a big blow for the boy,” former head coach Mowbray said.
“I had a long chat with him and he is obviously pretty down because he had eight months out – the reason he went out on loan was to try and give him some game time at a level that he would hopefully be able to play regularly at.
“It looks like he has popped his thigh muscle and I think it’s going to be a few months.
“We have discussed with him coming back and having his rehab here so that he can be around everybody, and so he feels part of what we’re trying to do.”
But with Embleton now nearing a return to training, the club have terminated his loan deal with Derby with Beale likely to be able to assess the 24-year-old himself over the coming weeks – albeit a return to action is still some way off.
Corry Evans
Evans is entering into his final six-months at the Stadium of Light, although the club do hold an option to extend the midfielder’s deal another year should they see fit.
And fitness may largely dictate that decision with the 33-year-old still to return after a serious knee injury in last January’s Wear-Tees derby. Evans went down early in Sunderland’s 2-0 success over Middlesbrough and is still to return, with Beale suggesting the midfielder remains a couple of weeks away from being back in full training – with the likelihood of being in contention again further still.
“Corry is a little bit away,” said Beale. “It was a long-term injury and when you come back from that there’s always one or two niggles. He’s out working in isolation with the sports science department but he’s not going to be available for selection anytime soon.”
It leaves Sunderland with a decision to make as to whether to extend the Northern Irishman’s stay should he be unable to return to contention this season.
After suffering the setback initially, Sunderland’s sporting director Kristjaan Speakman had offered his support to Evans after a new deal was agreed, by highlighting his impact at the club off the field.
“Corry has been fantastic for us,” he said. “Naturally, to suffer a significant injury is difficult to digest, but it’s testament to him as an individual that he is laser-focused on his ongoing rehabilitation.
"While he is unable to deliver on the pitch for a period, he remains a huge influence around the team and in club.”
How do these injuries impact Sunderland?
At the midway point of the January transfer window these injury problems do present a bit of a dilemma for Beale and the club’s recruitment team as to whether they look to provide additional cover in certain areas of the field or wait until those suffering from injury return.
In the case of Roberts, the club are likely to be content the winger can return in the near future and pick up where he left off in the side and, hopefully, contribute further in the second half of the season. Beyond Roberts, however, there remains a number of lengthy concerns.
Cirkin’s injury is perhaps the most notable given Huggins will be out until 2025. With Alese not long returning there will be a greater demand placed upon him to be able to maintain, and build, on his exposure back in the team over the course of the next three months in Cirkin’s absence. Pembele is another who appears to need minutes within the club’s development squad before he can be considered a viable option, that despite the Frenchman’s involvement under Beale over the Christmas period.
Dack will likely return next month to offer an option in those attacking midfield areas, or up front should the club not bring in another centre-forward this month. Behind them, though, with Evans and Embleton unlikely to feature, there is an added significance on those central midfield positions. Should either of Neil or Ekwah pick up an injury then Sunderland will find themselves stretched, although Jay Matete’s return to the squad at Ipswich is encouraging, providing he remains with the club at the end of the window.
“He was out on loan [last season] before he was injured but I’m getting to know him and I’ve been pleased with his application,” Beale said of Matete. “He’s not had any minutes other than 45 against a B-team Arsenal so we’ll see.
“There’s one or two who, by the end of the month, they will either be really needed or they’ll feel themselves they need to go and play.”
Sunderland are just about able to manage their current injury situation but the dilemma as to whether to stockpile for potential cover or replacements in some of those key areas remains live.
Read the rules here