Sunderland pre-season takeaways as Ballard and Mundle return and youngsters handed chances | OneFootball

Sunderland have resumed pre-season before Saturday’s friendly at York City, with footage showing senior returns and chances for youngsters.

Per Sunderland Echo, Dan Ballard and Romaine Mundle are back in full sessions.

After a cautious finish last season following a hamstring issue, Mundle now has a chance to impress while Chemsdine Talbi and Nilson Angulo recover. With strong competition, he may yet leave this summer, but being match sharp benefits everyone.

Ballard’s red card against Wolves enabled earlier ankle surgery. It appears to have gone well and he will again be central to Le Bris’s plans.

After impressing with Ivory Coast U21s, Jocelin Ta Bi is back looking to make his mark. With no other specialist right winger, early weeks are a chance to adapt and show he could contribute.

With World Cup players on a break, academy prospects are stepping up. Felix Scott and Jack Whittaker have joined senior training, while Trey Ogunsuyi has trained and could feature at York, and despite two tough loans he remains highly rated. Finn Geragusian is also back after injury.

Returning loanees Leo Hjelde, Alan Browne and Jenson Seelt are back in training, so they look likely to feature at York and could travel to the US. All three are expected to move on this summer, perhaps permanently. Seelt showed early last season he has top-tier potential, but competition may limit him on Wearside.

Source: Sunderland Echo