Sunderland have suffered fresh injury blows leaving the Black Cats defensively 'stretched' going into Sunday's game against Middlebrough, according to Tony Mowbray. The Black Cats take on Boro at the Stadium of Light on Sunday lunchtime, and they will be without versatile defender Luke O'Nien as he begins a three-game suspension following his red card in last weekend's defeat against Swansea City.
Aji Alese and Dennis Cirkin are also still out of action with ankle and hip problems respectively, although they are likely to return to training next week. But, without going into specifics, Mowbray has hinted that Sunderland's central defensive options have been further whittled down through injury.
Last weekend, Daniel Ballard started alongside O'Nien, while Danny Batth returned from a calf injury when he came on as a substitute following O'Nien's dismissal, and Mowbray seemed to suggest that either Ballard or Batth is a doubt. Bailey Wright was also on the bench against Swansea and if there are more defensive injuries, he could start against the Teessiders.
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Mowbray said: "You don't want to hear about our new injuries! Our squad is stretched at the moment, that's the best way to say it.
"We are short on defensive options - at this moment we have a bit of an issue with the defensive situation, but hopefully we can resolve it. We're waiting on one player having a scan today so let's see what the scan suggests.
"If the scan is not too bad, there's every chance he will play - if it's not, he won't. I don't want to sit here and give anything away, but it's an area of the pitch where we are missing a few players and the options are pretty light for us.
"But that's OK, because I'm hoping that we are going to be playing most of the game at the other end of the pitch! I can't say we're really happy because we've got this player back or that player back, but I think in a week or ten days we will look a lot stronger."
Of O'Nien, he added: "Luke is undoubtedly a loss. He brings huge mobility and drive and desire and commitment to the job. But we have other options and players who have done very well for the team over my period at the club."
Mowbray says he is expecting up to five players to be fit to begin training on Monday, with Alese, Cirkin, midfielder Alex Pritchard (calf), and full-back Niall Huggins (ankle) set to return. "I get a report every morning from the medical department and I think Monday is going to be a bright day for us because there will be potentially five players coming back for us, putting their boots on and training with the team," he said.
"That doesn't help us in the Boro match of course, but I still think we have a really talented group of players that will give Middlesbrough plenty of problems. We're very respectful of what they are achieving and what Michael [Carrick] has brought together, so I think it will be a good football match."
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