Régis Le Bris confirms Dan Ballard ban blow as Man Utd head to Sunderland | OneFootball

Sunderland have suffered a major setback before Manchester United’s visit to the Stadium of Light, with Dan Ballard’s appeal rejected and the defender now banned for three matches, ruling him out of the remainder of the Premier League campaign.

According to Sunderland Echo, Régis Le Bris said the club were disappointed after the FA upheld the red card shown during the 1-1 draw with Wolves. The decision followed a VAR review in which referee Paul Tierney ruled Ballard had pulled the hair of striker Tolu Arokodare.

Le Bris felt the incident was unclear, saying Ballard had tried to grab a shirt and that long hair became caught, so there was no intent. He accepted the law as applied on the day but questioned how clear the rule is.

The head coach confirmed wingers Bertrand Traore and Nilson Angulo are fit to rejoin the squad on Saturday afternoon. Both trained fully last week and, along with Jocelin Ta Bi, return to contention. He suggested they are unlikely to start and could offer options from the bench.

Le Bris added that players must show in training before earning minutes, noting the gap from sessions to a full game against Manchester United is significant. With the squad now fuller, he said there is no need to rush anyone back.

Romaine Mundle remains the only other absentee as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Source: Sunderland Echo