Sunderland provide update on Ballard injury after Burnley defeat | OneFootball

Sunderland provide update on Ballard injury after Burnley defeat | OneFootball

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·25 August 2025

Sunderland provide update on Ballard injury after Burnley defeat

Article image:Sunderland provide update on Ballard injury after Burnley defeat

Sunderland hope to know the extent of Dan Ballard’s groin injury by the end of the day.

Ballard was forced off inside the opening 10 minutes of Sunderland’s 2-0 defeat to fellow promoted side Burnley on the weekend, and the defender has undergone a scan to assess the severity of the injury.


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The 25-year-old missed 24 matches in the Championship last season but is seen as an important player for head coach Regis Le Bris, scoring in their first Premier League home match in eight years during the opening day win against West Ham.

Speaking to the media ahead of their Carabao Cup tie against League One side Huddersfield Town, assistant head coach Luciano Vulcano hopes the Northern Irish international’s injury is not severe.

“Ballard is having a scan today so we will know more in the next couple of hours,” said Vulcano. “We will hope that he will only be out for a short time because we need him and other players with us.”

Changes are expected for the Black Cats, with a key home match against Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday, but Vulcano says Le Bris will still put out a strong team against the League One front runners.

“We will respect every match we face so we will play a good starting XI,” Vulcano said.

“Régis (Le Bris) is thinking about what options he wants to take and in the next few hours he will decide for sure, but we will respect the cup because it is really important and maybe some players will be given a chance but we will see.

“There are many strategies on the table right now but for sure the gaffer will decide in the next few hours.

“I think every match is an opportunity for us to show our style of play, our commitment to the badge for our fans. We want to go to the next chapter every time and try to improve our results and our football.

“Yes, for sure, we want to go to the next chapter, also in the cup. We will try our best, obviously. We can win, we can lose, but we will try for sure.”

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