Dan Ballard injury update ahead of Sunderland vs Man City | Football

Regis Le Bris is confident that Dan Ballard’s injury is not serious after the Sunderland defender missed his side’s 1-1 draw with Leeds United on Sunday.

Ballard has been a vital cog at the heart of Sunderland’s defence throughout their impressive start to life back in the Premier League.

However, an injury to his ankle saw the centre-back miss the Black Cats’ 1-1 draw with Leeds as another goal from the in-form Dominic Calvert-Lewin cancelled out Simon Adingra’s opener.

Sunderland remain seventh in the table and just four points behind Liverpool in fourth place, but face a tough task next up against Manchester City on New Year’s Day.

The exact nature and extent of Ballard’s injury is yet to be determined, but Le Bris is hopeful that the defender won’t be facing an extended spell on the sidelines.

‘He [Ballard] got a kick on his ankle and it was too painful for him to play,’ Le Bris said post-match.

‘We’ll see how it is on Monday, We’ll have another scan.

‘It doesn’t seem too serious, but it’s important to explore further and to find the best solution for his recovery.’

Asked about his side’s performance, Le Bris was keen to take the positives, especially with several key players currently unavailable due to the AFCON.

‘Yes, probably this is a good point in the end,’ he added.

‘We started well, we scored and we had the opportunity to score the second goal.

‘The game shifted after the injury of Rodon, I think. They managed a different structure .We struggled to find the best references for the low build-up and for the high press, and that was key.

‘I think it’s normal because of the changes, to improve and to get better in this new culture, you need time and experiences, and this shift was a bit difficult to manage.

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‘It’s a question of shared references, we have our intentions and then we have to experience these situations in real time, even if in theory it’s simple to solve after that it’s a question of doing it on the pitch. It’s part of the pitch.’

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