"Important" Sunderland ace who's missed 18 games close to injury return

As they prepare to square off against Leeds United with closing the gap on the Championship leaders in mind, one Sunderland star has taken a key step towards returning from a lengthy absence.

Sunderland injury news

The Black Cats maintained their push for promotion last time out, returning to winning ways by defeating a struggling Luton Town side to stay within five points of Sheffield United in the automatic promotion spot and seven behind leaders Leeds.

That seven point gap makes this weekend’s clash all the more interesting, of course. Win at Elland Road and Regis Le Bris’ side will be just four points behind the Whites with just 14 games remaining in the Championship – setting up an intense race for automatic promotion.

Defeat, meanwhile, could all but end Sunderland’s title hopes and leave them as many as eight points behind automatic promotion, let alone runaway leaders Leeds.

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Ahead of such a crucial tie then, Le Bris will be glad to have been handed a positive update on the injury front. As revealed by Le Bris and relayed by The Northern Echo, Alan Browne has made his return to action with the U21s after missing the last 18 games with a broken leg in what is a key step towards a full comeback.

The summer signing has been out since November, but could finally get the chance to make his mark in the coming weeks alongside Romaine Mundle, who is back in full training.

Le Bris confirmed the news and provided an injury update before Sunderland’s victory over Luton, telling reporters: “Alan is very close, which is good news for us. We need his experience in the dressing room. When a player is missing, you understand how important they are.

“Romaine is training fully with the team, Tommy will need one more week to be in contact training with the team Touch wood, we are very close to having a full squad. Another two or three weeks, we could have a full squad.”

Sunderland returns arriving at perfect time

With just 14 games remaining, Sunderland couldn’t have asked for better news on the injury front as they close in on a full-strength squad at a crucial time. Browne, in particular, will be a welcome return after he missed 18 games through a major injury. Dubbed “important” by Le Bris, the midfielder’s experience could prove to be the key that unlocks promotion.

Meanwhile, the Black Cats still have Jayden Danns to return. The young striker has been injured since arriving with a back injury on loan from Liverpool, but will be desperate to complete his comeback and take full advantage of his opportunity at The Stadium of Light.

As the fixtures come thick and fast, depth will be more important than ever and Sunderland’s returning stars should reflect that. With automatic promotion still out of reach for the Black Cats, it’s set to be 14 games full of drama once again in the Championship.