Sunderland defender Dan Ballard says working alongside Jordan Willis was an inspiration as the pair carried out their rehab work together following serious injuries. Ballard broke a bone in his foot in mid-August leading to a four-month absence before he made his comeback in the Black Cats' weekend draw at Hull City, pressed back into action inside the opening 15 minutes as a substitute following an injury to Danny Batth.
Fellow centre-back Willis has been out of action for far longer having ruptured his patella tendon almost two years ago in February 2021, and when he underwent an operation it only resulted in a recurrence of the injury. Willis, whose contract expired over the summer, has been continuing his fitness work at the Academy of Light and that meant Ballard found himself in the treatment room alongside the 28-year-old.
Both players experienced setbacks in their recoveries - Willis' significantly more serious than Ballard's - but that gave them a shared bond. "Jordan is in everyday and he's gone through probably the worst kind of injury there was and had so many setbacks," said Ballard.
