Sunderland now reportedly face a nervous wait to find out the severity of the injury sustained by one of their summer signings after he attended a public event wearing a protective brace over his knee.
Sunderland injury news
Regis Le Bris’ side hit their first stumbling block in his otherwise perfect reign so far when they suffered shock defeat up against Plymouth Argyle. Wayne Rooney’s side became the first to take points off the Black Cats this season in what those at the Stadium of Light will hope is not a regular occurrence in the coming months.
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On that front, Plymouth aside, it looks as though victory is likely to come more often than defeat, given that Sunderland won four of their first five which included a 1-0 win over recently relegated Burnley. But there is of course plenty more work to do and as the Championship fixtures begin to come thick and fast ahead of the packed festive schedule, Sunderland will hope to have their full squad available.
Before that period, however, they’re at least likely to be without one player this weekend as Middlesbrough travel to the Stadium of Light. As reported by The Northern Echo, Alan Browne was spotted wearing a protective brace in a recent question and answer session with Sunderland fans.
The summer signing was quick to downplay the brace as a mere precaution, but the result of his knee scan will paint a better picture as Sunderland face a nervous wait over the severity of Browne’s injury.
It could be a case of a short-term blow for the sake of long-term availability for Browne, who has reportedly been complaining about discomfort in his knee, which has been through several tests. The scan results will tell Sunderland just how long they’ll be without their midfielder, but the protective brace suggests that he’s likely to at least miss the Middlesbrough game this weekend.
"Dynamic" Browne will be a frustrating miss
An experienced midfielder and former Preston North End captain, Browne arrived ready to make an impact at Sunderland in the summer, signing a deal reportedly worth £15k-p/w. Just months into his move, however, and the 29-year-old could be set for an extended spell on the sidelines.
The injury blow would come at a frustrating time too, given that Browne is yet to earn a nailed-on starting place in Le Bris’ side, playing from the start just twice in five Championship games, though scoring his first goal for the club in his first full 90 minutes against Portsmouth.
Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman was quick to praise the veteran midfielder as he put pen to paper in the summer, saying via Chronicle Live: “Alan is a dynamic and versatile midfielder, who will complement the players within our squad and bring fresh qualities to our midfield.
“His availability is something we have closely followed throughout the last eight months and his ambition was at the forefront of our discussions. He believes he can fulfil those ambitions at Sunderland and after seeing our potential, he wants to play an important role in creating future success. We are delighted to welcome him to the club.”