Sunderland boss Mike Dodds has confirmed that central defender Dan Ballard has suffered a hamstring injury.
The 24-year-old began for the Black Cats in their away Championship match against Southampton on Saturday afternoon, but he and his teammates had a terrible afternoon.
Southampton v Sunderland
Stuart Armstrong gave the Saints the early advantage in the ninth minute of play as they took the initiative and capitalised on a terrible Sunderland team.
When Southampton took a 2-0 lead at the half thanks to a penalty kick converted by Adam Armstrong in the 37th minute, things became much worse for Sunderland.
To Sunderland’s and Mike Dodds’ credit, the Black Cats fought back in the second half, drawing even due to goals from Romaine Mundle and Jobe Bellingham within ten minutes of each other shortly after the hour.
From that point on, things became worse. Dan Ballard was pulled off the ground due to injury in the minute when Southampton equalised, and in the last twenty or so minutes of play, Joe Rothwell scored his brace to give Southampton their third and fourth goals, respectively.
Mike Dodds confirms Dan Ballard injury
Naturally, interim manager Dodds was questioned about Dan Ballard’s early departure from the pitch following the full-time whistle.
Dodds revealed that the 24-year-old had suffered a hamstring injury, adding more bad news for the Black Cats during their dismal run of play, even though he was still unsure of the full degree of the issue.
According to the Sunderland Echo, Dodds said, “Dan tried to play on. I don’t want to add fuel to the fire because at this point I don’t actually know.”
“It is not good that he has a hamstring problem.
“I want to wait to remark until Monday to discuss if this is a minor or major issue because he will be evaluated then.
“At the moment, he’s in a tight spot but feels good about himself; he’s not overly anxious, but we’ll see.” All we can do is wait and see.
| Dan Ballard’s 2023/24 Championship stats, as per FOTMOB | |
|---|---|
| Statistic | Number |
| Matches | 34 |
| Started | 34 |
| Goals | 3 |
| Assists | 0 |
| Yellow cards | 11 |
| Red cards | 0 |
| Tackles won (per 90) | 0.86 |
| Duels won (per 90) | 5.41 |
| Aerial duels won (per 90) | 2.80 |
| Interceptions (per 90) | 0.80 |
| Blocked (per 90) | 0.27 |
| Recoveries (per 90) | 6.04 |
| Dribbled past (per 90) | 0.33 |
| Stats correct as of 10/03/24 | |
How long will Dan Ballard be out for?
Even though having a hamstring strain is never ideal, Sunderland will be perspiring whether it turns out to be a small or serious issue.
Yes, there is a clear distinction between the two, especially when it comes to recuperation time.
A mild hamstring strain or tear (grade 1) can heal in a few days, whereas a muscle tear (grade 2) hamstring injury can take weeks or months to heal. This information is based on the National Health Service.
The Black Cats will undoubtedly be praying that Ballard has only sustained the lesser injury and that his time away from the pitch is limited.
With 34 Championship games under his belt thus far this season, the 24-year-old has established himself as a sort of fixture in the Sunderland defence.
The Black Cats’ next away game is against QPR on Saturday, but before then, they have a match against Cardiff on the 29th, when Ballard might be back to full strength provided his injury is not too serious.
On this one, only time will tell.
See more updates on https://sportupdates.co.uk/
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