Corry Evans provides injury latest as Sunderland man steps up recovery

Corry Evans is hoping to be back on grass within the next fortnight, as the Sunderland man steps up his return from a knee injury.

Evans, 32, has been sidelined since January after sustaining a knee ligament injury which later needed surgery.

The Northern Irishman has featured 24 times in the first half of the season and was a key player for the Black Cats, with his absence highlighting a lack of steel in the middle of the pitch.

But speaking to the club (via Chronicle Live), Evans gave an update on his return to fitness, saying:

"The other lads have been off on holiday while we have been in working and trying to get fit for the new season. Mentally it's tough being injured, especially long-term, so to have people going through it with you day-to-day helps you a lot.

"There are long hours and it can get a bit lonely if you're on your own, so to have those players alongside me with their own injuries and their own journeys has been a bit of a support network. But it's going well. I'm just over five months into it now and I'm getting to that stage where I'm starting to move a bit more.

"The first stage of this injury is letting the knee settle, and from then on you have to build up the strength. I'm at a good stage now where I am on the altered gravity treadmill which takes the load off your bodyweight when you are running.

"Hopefully within the next week or two I can get outside on the grass and get out of the gym for a change of scenery and to start my running."

Evans remains under contract for the 2023/24 season bit how much of that he'll play a part in remains to be seen, with the hope being that he can return in time for the second half of the campaign.

And his return will be a welcome one. He's a player that Tony Mowbray knows well having had him at Blackburn Rovers, and Evans' experience will be crucial in a very youthful Sunderland side.

The Black Cats' 2023/24 campaign gets underway v Ipswich Town at the start of next month.

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