Middlesbrough has received mixed Sunderland injury news, with the ‘unbelievable engine’ definitely out.

Regis Le Bris has excellent news about one Sunderland player for the Boro match, but they are without one vital player.

Sunderland’s head coach, Regis Le Bris, announced mixed injury news for their next match against Middlesbrough. One of their most experienced players, described by a teammate as possessing a ‘unbelievable engine’, will miss the game.

Midfielder Alan Browne, who joined Sunderland on a free transfer from Preston North End this summer, wore a knee brace during the week as the club organized an event where their summer acquisitions answered fans’ concerns. The sight of the former Preston captain wearing the protection instantly raised concerns about his availability for Saturday’s Wear-Tees derby.

There were also concerns over crucial defender Dan Ballard, who was pictured leaving Plymouth Argyle last weekend with an ankle brace and on crutches. Despite having to be assisted off the field during the loss at Home Park, Le Bris expects Ballard to play.

Sunderland’s head coach stated: “Ballard should be OK for this weekend. We need at least one more week to make Browney available.”

That might be a setback for the Black Cats ahead of Saturday’s big game at the Stadium of Light. Many Sunderland fans thought that they lacked Browne’s expertise in the defeat to Plymouth, with the Frenchman instead fielding an inexperienced midfield of Dan Neil (22), Chris Rigg (17), and Jobe Bellingham.

Indeed, Neil, whose inexperience was evident in this match last season when he was sent off for overstepping the line in his appeals to the referee, had previously spoken of Browne’s significance to Sunderland upon his arrival in the summer.

Neil commented, “Alan has a great engine and unbelievable legs. We were aware of this from past games against Preston. Every time we faced him, we spoke about his incredible engine. He’s also a more seasoned head in there, which is beneficial because both Jobe and I are still young.

“We have age-appropriate experience, but Browney has been around for a long time. He’s a tremendous leader on the pitch, and he also has outstanding possession skills.”

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