Michael O’Neill hopeful on Dan Ballard November return as Sunderland await scan results | OneFootball

Sunderland are awaiting clarity on Dan Ballard’s suspected hamstring injury after his return from Northern Ireland duty, with Michael O’Neill expressing hope he could be available again by November.

He departed the Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena on crutches after suffering the problem in added time of the 1-0 win over Georgia on Friday night. According to Sunderland Echo, he has returned to Sunderland for assessment by the club’s medical staff.

He has been ruled out of the rest of this international window, including Monday night against Hungary, the trip to Ukraine and the return game with Georgia. O’Neill stressed that November is a target rather than a confirmed timeline.

O’Neill said the club must assess Ballard first and that both Sunderland and Northern Ireland want him back as soon as possible. He described Ballard as a big presence for both teams and wished him a speedy recovery, adding that he hopes to see him in November.

Sunderland will set a timeframe once the scan results are known. His manager’s comments offer some encouragement that the issue might not be long term, although there is no firm return date yet.

Source: Sunderland Echo

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