AliousSunderland’s defensive lineup is appearing somewhat thin as they prepare to host Millwall at the Stadium of Light for their upcoming Championship match this weekend.
Under head coach Régis Le Bris, the team struggled in their outings prior to the international break.
They managed only a lackluster draw at home against Preston North End and then suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat on the road against Coventry City at the CBS Arena.
In that match, left-back Dennis Cirkin was forced off the pitch due to an injury, which later led to his withdrawal from the England U21 squad.
His participation in Saturday’s clash with Millwall remains uncertain, though Le Bris is expected to provide a detailed update during his pre-match press conference on Thursday.
Adding to the woes, right-back Trai Hume returned prematurely from international duty with Northern Ireland after picking up a hip injury. While it’s not yet confirmed that he’ll miss the Millwall game, his availability is in question, though there’s still a possibility he could feature.
With Cirkin and Hume listed as doubtful and centre-back Dan Ballard already ruled out, Le Bris is facing a noticeably reduced pool of defensive options.
On a brighter note, the international break brought some positive news for Sunderland. Key defender Chris Mepham, on loan from Bournemouth, came through unscathed, playing the full 90 minutes for Wales in their 1-1 draw against North Macedonia under Craig Bellamy’s management on Tuesday night.
Similarly, Eliezer Mayenda earned his second cap for Spain’s U21 team that same evening and appears to have avoided any injury concerns.
Chris Rigg also emerged injury-free after scoring for England U19s against Portugal, with his late substitution in the second half believed to be a tactical move rather than injury-related.
Jobe Bellingham, meanwhile, featured for England’s U21s in their victory over Portugal, and his substitution in the second half is also thought to have been a strategic decision rather than due to any physical issue.
Regarding Trai Hume’s injury, Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill confirmed that the Sunderland full-back would not take part in Tuesday’s friendly against Sweden and has since returned to the North East for further evaluation of his hip problem.
Hume, a former Linfield standout, has grown into a vital component of Sunderland’s squad over the past two seasons, and his strong performances at club level have cemented his importance to the Northern Ireland national team.
Having progressed through various youth levels, Hume earned his 19th senior cap in Friday’s 1-1 draw with Switzerland, but he aggravated his hip issue during the match.
Sunderland will now assess the extent of the injury before determining his availability for Saturday’s game and beyond.
O’Neill, speaking on Monday, noted: “He’d not really been training with Sunderland, just playing games and getting through them.
He felt quite sore after Friday’s match, and we decided it was better to send him back to the club for a proper investigation rather than risk him again here.
Neither we nor Sunderland want this to linger. They’ve got big games ahead, and we wouldn’t want him to play here and then miss out in June as well.”
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