Tony Mowbray is keeping his fingers crossed that Patrick Roberts and Alex Pritchard shake off knocks ahead of Sunderland's play-off semi-final game at Luton Town this week. The duo came off late in the game at the Stadium of Light as the Black Cats came from behind to win 2-1, giving them a priceless advantage to take into the second leg at Kenilworth Road on Tuesday night.
Roberts went off around ten minutes from time with what looked like a thigh problem, and Pritchard limped off in the final minute after being caught in a challenge with Fred Onyedinma. Sunderland's squad has been hit hard by injuries and Mowbray can ill-afford to lose any more players - and particularly two such key members of his side.
"Patrick came off which isn't good," said Mowbray. "Pritch has come off after picking up a kick, and if that's what it is there's every chance it'll just need to settle down and it'll just be a haematoma - a big bruise that needs plenty of ice and he'll be fine, hopefully.
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"We're really stretched so we need to get these players fit. We're in today, we'll see who's fit, who's available, then on Monday we'll get on the bus and go to Luton to try and do a job."
Mowbray was also asked whether there was any prospect of any of Sunderland's long-term casualties returning for the second leg, but he says they are not ready which means the Black Cats will again be without any specialist centre-backs when they go to Luton. Aji Alese is the closest to a return but he has not played since early March due to a thigh injury, while Dan Ballard has been out since the end of March with a hamstring issue, and Danny Batth picked up a knee injury in mid-April which ruled him out of the remainder of the campaign.
There was one glimmer of light, however, with full-back Niall Huggins coming on to replace Roberts having been out since January, although he is not yet ready to start games. Mowbray said: "Aji's the closest [to fitness].
"He's on the grass with the physios but he hasn't played for ten weeks. It's really unlikely we're going to say to Aji 'can you play even though you haven't played for ten weeks, just because you are 6ft 3in'.
"I don't think we're going to do that, but if he starts training with the team he might find himself on the bench and then if we are hanging on and we need a 6ft 3in guy in the middle of our defence to head some corners out then we might think about it. We did something similar with Niall Huggins last night.
"My conversation with him is really about having a good pre-season, yet he wanted to be involved tonight and we ended up using him from the bench. Dan Ballard is not ready. Danny Batth still has a big pot on his leg, Ross Stewart will be next season, so there's no 6ft 3in footballers coming back."
Sunderland are also without Elliot Embleton, who suffered a broken ankle in December, and star striker Ross Stewart, who ruptured his Achilles in January, and neither will figure before next season. Skipper Corry Evans damaged his cruciate ligament in January and he might not play again until Christmas.
Mowbray said: "Elliot Embleton is going to be pre-season, Corry Evans might not be back until Christmas. They're not coming back for Tuesday, that's for sure!"
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