New Sunderland AFC boost is massive – It could affect the club’s Premier League dream | OneFootball

Sunderland are set to receive a huge boost with the return of both Dan Ballard and Dennis Cirkin from injury ahead of their play-off campaign.

It has been confirmed that Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris will now be able to welcome back key defensive duo Dan Ballard and Dennis Cirkin ahead of the end of this season and looking ahead towards their upcoming play-off campaign.

After some poor form as they appear to be coasting towards the end of the campaign with little to play for for much of the last month, the Black Cats will now hope the major boost of having both Ballard and Cirkin returning just at the right time could be what makes the difference for them in the play-offs.

Ballard has been unavailable for the Wearsiders since mid-February due to a hamstring injury, whilst Cirkin has been unavailable since picking up an injury against Coventry City in mid-March.

Cirkin is making the better progress and is expected to be involved this weekend against Oxford

United having narrowly missed out on being in the squad against Blackburn Rovers on Monday, whilst Ballard is expected to return in time for their final game of the regular season against Queens Park Rangers at the Stadium of Light.

The major Ballard and Cirkin boost

Since joining from Arsenal for an undisclosed fee in the summer of 2022, former Swindon Town, Blackpool and Millwall loanee Ballard has asserted himself as the fulcrum of the Sunderland defence.

The 25-year-old Stevenage-born Northern Ireland international enjoyed his best season at the club last year with 42 appearances in the Championship but remains a key figure as Sunderland seek to return to the Premier League for the first time since their relegation in the 2016/17 season.

Cirkin came through the academy at Tottenham Hotspur before his move to the north east for an undisclosed fee in August 2021 with Sunderland still in League One at the time.

The 23-year-old Dublin-born England youth international has missed nine games through injury this season but has played in all but one of the rest of the campaign that he has been available for.

With several players having to fill in at left-back out of position in his absence, it is a major boost to have the balance and quality that Cirkin provides, whilst Ballard will now once again push Chris Mepham and Luke O’Nien in the heart of the Sunderland defence.

Sunderland’s faltering finish

Sunderland, with a squad that boasts some of the finest young talents in the EFL such as Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg as well as quality such as Enzo Le Fee and Wilson Isidor, have enjoyed an impressive campaign, cementing themselves in fourth position for much of the season after slightly fading from an extraordinarily bright start.

With fourth spot secure, though, and automatic promotion out of sight but seventh place also too far away to catch them, there is a concern that they have taken their eye off the ball and that momentum may be difficult to wrestle back.

Their third successive loss came against Blackburn Rovers by a goal to nil at the Stadium of Light on Easter Monday and does now mean that they have managed just two victories in their last eight matches.

However, the return of two key defenders could well prove to be a major boost ahead of the final two games before a play-off semi-final tie against probably one of Bristol City or Coventry City but their opponent could also yet come from Middlesbrough, Millwall and Blackburn.