Jewison Bennette is expected to miss the remainder of Sunderland's season while Dan Ballard is set to be sidelined for up to three weeks, according to Tony Mowbray. The pair were injured while on international duty, with teenage winger Bennette suffering a dislocated shoulder while training with the Costa Rica squad while centre-back Ballard limped out of Northern Ireland's Euro 2024 qualifying defeat against Finland at the weekend with a hamstring problem.
Bennette's injury is the more serious of the two and Mowbray said this afternoon that the 18-year-old's season is effectively over and he may need an operation to pin the joint. Bennette was pictured wearing a sling as he arrived to watch Costa Rica's 1-0 CONCACAF Nations League group stage defeat against Panama in the early hours of this morning, which meant did not qualify for the finals of the tournament.
"He's dislocated his shoulder. Jewi is finished for the season, I think," said Mowbray, whose Sunderland side takes on Championship leaders Burnley at Turf Moor on Friday night. "I'm not a medic but it probably needs an operation and pinning, otherwise you think you're all right and then the first time you fall over in pre-season you dislocate it again and it's another three months.
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"We'll assess that when he gets back in the building."
Ballard's injury is likely to keep him out for between two and three weeks and, assuming that the upper end of that timescale proves correct, it would mean he would miss the next five games before returning for the final three matches of the season. A three-week absence would see him miss the games against Burnley, Hull City, Cardiff City, Birmingham City and Huddersfield Town.
Mowbray said: "I'm not getting upset about injuries. It's part and parcel of football. We have to get on with it. We've got some pretty key players unavailable but we'll be fine, let's be positive. It's an opportunity for other lads to show what they can do."
Mowbray did have some good news on the injury front, with left-back Dennis Cirkin set to return to the squad after recovering from the after-effects of the concussion he suffered in Sunderland's game at Millwall at the beginning of February. He said: "We had a bounce game against Hartlepool the other day and he played 60 or 70 minutes in that and he felt pretty comfortable.
"His name will be on the squad list travelling to Burnley and as long as he trains to day and tomorrow without any problems he'll be coming with us."
Full-back Niall Huggins is also closing in on a return after a lengthy lay-off with an ankle issue. Huggins played 45 minutes for the U21s at Leeds United the weekend before last and Mowbray says he may need another U21 game before he comes back into first team contention, with the U21s next in action at home against Nottingham Forest on Monday night.
Mowbray said: "Niall is almost ready, he probably needs another U21 game under his belt."
Midfielder Elliot Embleton suffered a broken ankle in Sunderland's game at Hull City in December and there had been hope that he would be fit to play a part in the run-in, but that now seems unlikely.
Mowbray said: "He's not on the radar really. He is walking around the building - I saw him the other day and he was moving all right and he said he felt good. But I wouldn't anticipate we are going to see him [playing this season]."
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