ALAN BROWNE has become yet another injury doubt for Sunderland ahead of their Wear-Tees derby against Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light this coming weekend.

Browne has been complaining of knee pain and has had several tests performed to determine the severity of the issue.

With a brace on his leg for protection, the Republic of Ireland international joined Sunderland’s other summer acquisitions for a question and answer session on Tuesday night at the Stadium of Light.

After leaving Preston as a free agent in the summer, Browne signed with Sunderland. He has played in two starts and two substitute appearances so far this season, and he scored in the victory over Portsmouth.

Tuesday night’s ceremony was also attended by Samis Abdul Samed, who will undoubtedly not participate in Saturday’s home game.

Samed, who last month signed a loan from Lens to play for the Black Cats, has been healing from a small ache.

The Ghanaian midfielder informed supporters during the talk-in that he was probably going to be out for “another fortnight,” despite Regis Le Bris’ assertion last week that he was “seven to ten days” away from a potential comeback. That might mean he is available to make his debut in the midweek home game against Derby, but it would also keep him out of the Boro game and the trip to Watford.

The initial portion of this week has been devoted to Sunderland’s medical staff evaluating the injury that led Dan Ballard to leave the field hobbling during the last moments of Saturday’s loss to Plymouth.

Ballard is said to have undergone a number of scans after leaving Home Park on crutches and with his foot in a protective boot. He later returned to the northeast.

When Le Bris does his pre-match press conference ahead of the Boro game on Thursday morning, the outcome of those scans ought to be made public.

Chris Mepham, who joined the Black Cats on loan from Bournemouth on deadline day, is probably going to make his Sunderland debut if Ballard is sidelined for the upcoming weekend.