Mike Dodds says injured Sunderland duo are now closing in on long-awaited return
Mike Dodds has confirmed that two Sunderland players are now nearing a return to action.
Sunderland have struggled with injuries to some of their key players this term, with Jack Clarke the most recent star who is set for a stint on the sidelines.
While the likes of Dennis Cirkin and Niall Huggins remain sidelined, a number of players are on the road to recovery.
Mike Dodds confirmed that Corry Evans is back in full training, though we are unlikely to see him in action for a while after spending over a year in the treatment room.
However, two players that we could see back on the pitch very soon are Aji Alese and Bradley Dack.
Aji Alese has spent a large chunk of his Sunderland career on the sidelines, having only made his first appearance of the season in the 2-0 win over Preston North End on New Year’s Day.
The defender lasted only two starts before suffering another injury and has since spent over a month injured.
Meanwhile, Bradley Dack hasn’t had much luck either, enduring two different injuries since joining on a free transfer last summer.
After making only five starts for Sunderland, the midfielder has found himself on the treatment table since just after Christmas.
However, Dodds has now claimed that the pair are ‘not far away’ from returning to the senior squad.
Speaking in the pre-match press conference (quotes by Sunderland Echo), Dodds said: “Aji and Dacky are not far away, they’re not joining in fully yet but they are taking part in some of the training. So there is a bit of light at the end of the tunnel with some of them, but in terms of this weekend it’s going to be a similar type of squad.”
Will Alese & Dack return to the starting line-up?
Leo Hjelde’s arrival at Sunderland last month means there is less of a rush to see Aji Alese return to that left-back position, though we could potentially see him pushed into the middle of defence instead.
Hjelde has looked impressive since joining the club, while Callum Styles can also play left wing-back – though didn’t display that particularly well against Swansea City.
Given our defensive problems at times this season, Alese deserves a chance to see if he can firm up the backline from the middle.
Meanwhile, Bradley Dack has a much tougher job on his hands to get back into the team. The 30-year-old has been underwhelming so far this season and he will have to work his socks off if he wants to get ahead of the likes of Jobe and Adil Aouchiche in the pecking order.
