Sunderland internationals: Northern Ireland duo suffer, Ellborg and Sweden near World Cup | OneFootball

Two Sunderland players suffered World Cup play-off heartbreak with Northern Ireland, while Melker Ellborg moved a step closer with Sweden.

Northern Ireland reached the play-off via the Nations League and faced Italy in Bergamo. Sunderland Echo notes that Trai Hume captained the side, operating on the right of a back three.

Second-half strikes from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean settled it 2-0. Hume played the full 90 minutes and posted a team-high 7.3 rating, producing a goal-line clearance among two tackles, four clearances, two interceptions, a block and four recoveries. Dan Ballard missed out through injury.

Ellborg, signed from Malmo in January to back up Robin Roefs, has already made four Sunderland appearances because of Roefs’ injury. He was an unused substitute as Sweden beat Ukraine 3-1, with Viktor Gyokeres putting them 3-0 up by the 73rd minute before Matviy Ponomarenko’s consolation.

Sweden face Poland in Solna on Tuesday, the winner qualifying for the World Cup. Elsewhere, Noah Sadiki featured as DR Congo beat Bermuda in a friendly in Mexico, Chris Rigg played the final 20 minutes in England’s 2-0 defeat to Serbia in a U19 UEFA European Championship qualifier, and Milan Aleksic started as Serbia U21s drew 2-2 with Kyrgyzstan U23s.

Source: Sunderland Echo