Sunderland return to Premier League action against Aston Villa on Sunday
Dan Ballard is available to return to the Sunderland squad at Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon, though head coach Régis Le Bris has hinted that he might be used as a substitute initially.
Ballard has been absent with a hamstring issue, missing the Tyne-Wear derby and the win over Spurs as well as Northern Ireland's World Cup play-off against Italy. The defender will return to the squad at Villa Park but with Luke O'Nien in strong form, might initially have to settle for a place on the bench.
Le Bris also revealed that Nilson Angulo, Bertrand Traoré and Jocelin Ta Bi are close to a return even though this weekend's game will come too soon.
"Ballard is fully fit," Le Bris said.
"He has trained normally this week, so available for selection.
"For Nilson, Bertrand and Jocelin, still sidelined but really close to reconnecting with the squad. Probably around the Forest game, a bit before or maybe a bit after, they'll be able to join part or full training sessions. It's really positive for Jocelin because we thought he would be back just before the Chelsea game in training, but he has recovered really quickly. It's positive for us and very impressive.
"Dan is available but we don't have to rush the process at the minute, which is good. He is available for selection, but you understand the dynamic of the group. Even for Ballard, I think it's key to build this fitness level rather than to rush the process now."
Romaine Mundle remains a longer-term absentee with a hamstring issue and is not expected to play again this season.
Le Bris on Aston Villa challenge
“We have a positive energy in the team at the minute,” Le Bris said.
“We have an underdog mentality and that’s how we approach it. It’s a big challenge tactically and also their qualities as individuals. They are adaptive, can fix problems and also they have gamechangers. It’s an exciting challenge.
“They are in great form, so it’s a big challenge. We want to approach it the right way. The approach for us remains the same, keep our daily standards and results will be the consequence of that. If we do that, we don’t know what we can achieve. I felt again this week that the energy is growing, it’s positive.”
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