With eight players out injured, Sunderland leads the Premier League injury table, but when will they be able to return to the Black Cats’ campaign?
Sunderland may be keeping the Premier League afloat, but they have the unfortunate distinction of leading the league in injuries.
More than any other club in the top flight, the Black Cats presently have EIGHT first-team players out injured, with Belgian international defender Jason Denayer the most recent to join the list.
And David Moyes is struggling mightily in the treatment room as he seeks his first league victory since taking over on Wearside in an effort to rise above the bottom of the standings.
Injuries have plagued Sunderland for the first two months of the season, and while some players have subsequently returned to action, a large number of others are still out for anywhere from a few weeks to three months.
Among the long-term absentees are Seb Larsson, Fabio Borini, and Vito Mannone, although Steven Pienaar and Denayer are probably going to return sooner rather than later.
The Stadium of Light’s most recent injury situation is summarised below:
On-loan Denayer, a defender for Manchester City, became the most recent victim of Sunderland’s injury curse after he injured his thigh while representing Belgium’s U21 team. In Friday’s loss to Montenegro in a European U21 Championship qualification match for Belgium, he was replaced soon after the half-hour mark.
He hasn’t yet travelled back to Wearside to be examined by Sunderland’s medical staff, but reports in his country indicate he could be out for two to four weeks.
Pienaar, a midfielder from South Africa, tore his hamstring 15 minutes into Sunderland’s home loss to Crystal Palace at the end of September. The ex-Spurs and Everton player was sidelined for around a month.
The financed A Manchester United winger is anticipated to miss at least six weeks after suffering ankle ligament damage in Sunderland’s loss to Crystal Palace at the end of September.
After a collision on the practise pitch at the end of August, custodian Mannone sustained ruptured ligaments. He required surgery and was initially expected to be out for at least three months, but his recuperation has beyond expectations, and he may be able to resume full training by next month.
Due to a double hernia operation, Cattermole missed the beginning of the season, and despite making a brief comeback in September, he is currently dealing with a back issue. The midfielder received an injection in an effort to treat the ailment without surgery, but no timeline for his return has yet been established.
An adductor muscle tore away from the bone in the Italian striker’s leg as he took a free kick against Southampton at the end of August. He was initially given a three-month absence from sports.
Kirchhoff has been plagued by hamstring issues that have interfered with his preseason and flared up once more in the draw with West Bromwich Albion at the start of the month.
After the German midfielder was stretchered off against the Baggies early in the second half, the club announced that he will be sidelined for six to eight weeks.
