Tony Mowbray always refused to make too much of an issue of Sunderland's injury problems last season, but that doesn't mean they were a big factor on his side's progress.
That the Black Cats made the play-offs WITHOUT the likes of Ross Stewart and Corry Evans regularly in the side just underlines how good a job Mowbray and the available players did against all the odds. It's not the first time Sunderland have been dogged by injuries, of course, but several players were ruled out for long spells.
So as the Wearsiders begin to look ahead to the 2023-24 campaign, they will no doubt be hoping for better luck on the injury front - and welcoming some big names back into first-team consideration.
