Sunderland get double injury boost as Regis Le Bris gives Dan Ballard update

Regis Le Bris will have his Sunderland squad for the Burnley game bolstered by two returning players, but Dan Ballard won't be one of them.

Sunderland defender Dan Ballard / IMAGO / Focus Images

Sunderland will have summer signings Alan Browne and Ian Poveda available when they face Burnley on Saturday.

Browne made his debut in the opening day win over Cardiff City but had to sit out the 4-0 demolition of Sheffield Wednesday with a minor knock.

Poveda, meanwhile, is yet to feature at all for the Sunderland first team, but he did play 45 minutes for the under-21s in their season opener against Newcastle this week.

Both will be in the squad for the visit of Burnley, though, with head coach Regis Le Bris confirming: "Alan and Ian are available yes,” Le Bris said.

Other than long-term injury victims Niall Huggins and Jenson Seelt, Sunderland will have a full squad to chose from with the exception of Dan Ballard.

The centre back played Sunderland’s first preseason game this summer but then required minor knee surgery.

He won’t be back this weekend, but Le Bris says he is very close to getting back on the pitch again.

"Dan Ballard, not yet,” Le Bris said. “We need one more week, and every day we can feel if he is able to support the load. So we take it day by day, but we are confident that he will be back soon.

“Whether he will be available for the next game [Portsmouth] I'm not sure, but it is possible.”