Alex Neil has issued a positive update on the fitness of key man Alex Pritchard ahead of Sunderland's Good Friday game against Shrewsbury Town. The midfielder picked up a calf issue in the Black Cats' win against Gillingham on Wearside a fortnight ago and was withdrawn 20 minutes from time.
He did not feature in last weekend's win at Oxford United, but Neil said afterwards that he hoped Pritchard would be in contention for tomorrow's game against the Shrews at the Stadium of Light. As ever where injury doubts are concerned, Neil was reluctant to go into detail to avoid giving Sunderland's opponents any clues about the team he might pick.
But he pointedly did not rule Pritchard out of the game, saying: "Alex is making good progress."
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Pritchard is an important part of the Sunderland side, with the former Norwich City and Huddersfield Town man the club's leading assist-provider with ten in all competitions so far, while also chipping in with four goals. One player who will not figure in tomorrow's game is on-loan Union Berlin winger Leon Dajaku.
He has not been involved in the last two games, with Neil revealing that the 21-year-old is currently back in his homeland recovering from illness. "Leon is ill," said Neil.
"He's not been feeling well, and he's actually back in Germany at the moment having some tests. He was initially diagnosed with tonsillitis which he hasn't really managed to shake off and it has got a little bit worse.
"We allowed him to go back home and we're hopeful that he is going to come back fit. We hope he gets better quickly, and we'll see where he goes."
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