Sunderland suffer injury blow ahead of Portsmouth clash as £20m club-record signing remains in contract limbo
Portsmouth have been handed a boost ahead of their early season clash with Sunderland
Sunderland defender Dan Ballard is expected to miss the start of the Championship season after picking up an injury in a pre-season friendly.
The 24-year-old injured his knee during a 5-0 victory over South Shields last weekend and has now been sent to London to see a specialist as he faces a race against time to get fit for the 2024/25 campaign.
The Northern Ireland international had been scheduled to join his team-mates in a pre-season training camp in Spain, but after undergoing what the club describe as a ‘minor procedure’ he has been told to return to the north east to focus on his rehabilitation.
Ballard was signed from Arsenal in the summer of 2022 and played 19 times in his debut campaign as the Black Cats reached the play-off semi-final. The following season, he stepped up to become a first team regular, making 43 appearances in the league and scoring three goals.
BBC Sport estimates that the central defender will miss at least six weeks of football through his injury. Meaning he will likely miss his side’s opening fixture against Cardiff City on Saturday 10 August.
Ballard is also a doubt for his side’s clash with newly-promoted Portsmouth on matchday four with the game taking place on Saturday 31 August at Fratton Park. Portsmouth treated their fans to a 4-0 victory in their last meeting with Sunderland at Fratton Park back in October 2021, with Marcus Harness, Lee Brown and John Marquis (2) providing the goals.
Sheffield United club-record signing remains in contract limbo
Sheffield United forward Oli McBurnie faces an uncertain future in South Yorkshire and is still waiting to see if the club will offer him a new deal nearly a fortnight after his contract officially expired.
The £20m forward is officially a free agent, but has yet to make a decision over his next destination. The former Swansea City star returned to the Blades’ Shirecliffe training ground earlier this summer to maintain his fitness amid uncertainty over his future, and this situation has only grown more complicated following the arrival of Bournemouth forward Kieffer Moore for an undisclosed fee.
In an ideal world, the Sheffield Star understands that Chris Wilder would like to see both lead the line next season. The pair formed a strong partnership during their time at Barnsley and have both proven over the years that they can score goals at this level as the South Yorkshire outfit target an immediate return to the top-flight.
McBurnie is understood to be keen to stay at Bramall Lane and it is widely understood that his contract situation will be dependent on the club’ ongoing talks over a takeover. However, the Scottish forward is also keen to get settled ahead of the season and with less than a month to go before the curtain-raiser, can only afford to wait so long for a definitive decision.
The striker has been heavily linked with a move to Rangers this summer while a number of Championship clubs are also thought to be keeping tabs on his contract situation.