VAR controversy during Sunderland 1-1 Everton as Louis-Dreyfus delivers interview
Dennis Cirkin was named in Sunderland’s under-21 squad at Eppleton in welcome boost to Régis Le Bris
Dennis Cirkin was named in Sunderland’s under-21 squad at Eppleton as the left-back finally began the long road back from six months on the sidelines.
The 23-year-old has endured a frustrating spell, first suffering a severe wrist injury in the summer before complications with his knee prolonged his absence. Both issues have eased in recent weeks, with Cirkin returning to full training ahead of the Arsenal match and Régis Le Bris confirming he would use U21 football to rebuild sharpness and confidence after such a lengthy lay-off.
Friday night marked the start of that process. Cirkin has been a key figure since joining from Tottenham in 2021, making 116 senior appearances and playing a major role in Sunderland’s promotion from League One. His return arrives at an important moment for Le Bris, with fellow left-backs Reinildo Mandava and Arthur Masuaku expected to head to AFCON duty in January, leaving Cirkin’s availability potentially crucial for the early months of 2025.
Sunderland also named Ben Metcalf in goal once again, following Issac Allan’s 28-day loan move to non-league side Morepeth Town. Graeme Murty also opted to play brother Harrison Jones and Jaydon Jones together in midfield alongside Ben Middlemas, with Jenson Jones, Ben Kindon and Joe Neild in defence alongside Cirkin. Jack Whittaker, Fin Geragusian and Timur Tutierov made up the young Black Cats front three.
What did Le Bris say about Cirkin and other injuries?
Régis Le Bris says both Dennis Cirkin and Romaine Mundle are edging closer to their Sunderland returns, offering the head coach a welcome boost ahead of a busy period in the season.
Neither player has featured so far this campaign. Mundle required hamstring surgery after suffering a recurrence of the injury during Sunderland’s pre-season camp in Portugal, while Cirkin has spent months recovering from a long-term wrist problem and a knee issue.
Both players returned to training over the past week, with Cirkin now beginning to rebuild his match fitness by stepping into the under-21s setup. Sunderland are being more cautious with Mundle, ensuring he gets a consistent run of full training before putting him back into contention, but Le Bris says the winger could come back into the frame when the Black Cats travel to Fulham after the international break.
“Dennis will probably play with the U21s soon,” Le Bris said. “Romaine is close to playing as well, so we wanted to delay a bit Romaine's return because of his injury. A hamstring injury is a little bit different so we wanted consistency across two or three weeks where he could be in full training, and he's in a good place now. So he could be close for the Fulham game.”
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Although Sunderland currently have strong options in both positions, the update is significant in light of the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, where reinforcements will be vital across the squad. Elsewhere, Leo Hjelde has also confirmed on social media that he has returned to training after undergoing surgery on both achilles during the summer.
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