Sunderland’s Dan Ballard has surgery on knee injury
REGIS Le Bris has been dealt a major blow, with Dan Ballard set to miss the start of the Championship season after having surgery on a knee injury.
The centre-half suffered the injury in Saturday’s pre-season friendly win over South Shields. He saw a specialist in London on Monday and it was decided surgery was the best course of action, with Ballard undergoing what has been described as a minor procedure and now facing six weeks on the sidelines.
He is now back in the North East and will undergo his rehabilitation at the Academy of Light rather than joining his teammates in Spain for Sunderland’s pre-season training camp.
Le Bris is now expected to be without Ballard for at least the first three Championship games of the season against Cardiff, Sheffield Wednesday and Burnley as well as the Carabao Cup first round tie against Preston.
Sunderland said: “All at SAFC wish Dan a swift recovery and return to action.”
Ballard has established himself as a key figure at Sunderland since joining from Arsenal two years ago, with the Northern Ireland international attracting admiring glances from several Premier League clubs.
And he’s also now said to be interesting former Sunderland head coach target Will Still, who is reportedly keen on taking the defender to Lens.
Ballard was linked with Everton and Ipswich Town earlier in the summer.
