Sunderland 'in a positive spot' with injuries as four close in on return

Mike Dodds says Sunderland are in a ‘really positive spot’ with injuries, with four players back in training and working towards a return.

Sunderland have had a rotten time with injuries since their return to the Championship and it was a constant source of frustration to former boss Tony Mowbray.

Typically, his departure has coincided with an apparent upturn in fortune in that department, with Jay Matete, Timothée Pembele, Aji Alese and Dennis Cirkin all back in training.

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None of them will be ready for the trip to Bristol City (although Jenson Seelt is expected to be available after suffering cramp against Leeds) but they should all be playing for the under-21s within a couple of weeks.

"Jay is pretty much in full-time training," Dodds said on Thursday ahead of the trip to Bristol City.

"He's going to get some minutes for the U21s on Monday, I think. That'll be a really welcome addition for us in terms of competition and depth. Yeah, he's not a million miles away.

“Timothée has trained this week as well so I think he's in line for some minutes on Monday.

“Touch wood, we're in a good spot with injuries. Dennis Cirkin and Aji Alese are both training so in terms of that, we're in a really positive spot.”

Cirkin was named on the team sheet for the win over Birmingham last month only to withdraw before kick-off after hurting his hamstring in the warm-up.

It was the latest in what is becoming a slightly worrying succession of injuries for the former Tottenham man, and Dodds says they will employ caution in his return – just as they are with Alese.

"Aji obviously hasn't played a lot of football so it'll have to be a case of integrating him slowly, and the same with Dennis really.

“With all of these lads, it's a case of just seeing how they react and if they react favourably, you can quicken the process up. If they don't, you have to adapt.

“So there's no absolute timeframe with any of them, but the positive is they're training. Some them will get minutes on Monday and some, it might well be the week after."

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