Luke O’Nien and Dan Ballard might not be available for Sunderland’s Championship match against QPR on Saturday.
Sunderland is gearing up for their upcoming Championship clash against QPR on Saturday, and they might face the challenge of being without their primary center-back pairing.
Luke O’Nien is confirmed to be unavailable for the match as he serves the second game of his two-game suspension, earned due to accumulating 10 yellow cards. Additionally, Dan Ballard, who was forced off during the match against Southampton on Saturday, is an early doubt due to a hamstring injury. Sunderland’s interim boss, Mike Dodds, commented on Ballard’s situation, stating, “He’s come off with a hamstring injury, which isn’t great. I don’t want to comment at the moment whether it is minor or major because he’ll come in and be assessed on Monday.”
Facing the potential absence of the 24-year-old Dan Ballard would indeed be another setback for Sunderland’s injury-ridden squad. The combination of losing both Ballard and Luke O’Nien, who have jointly started 33 out of 37 league games this season, poses a significant challenge for Sunderland. In light of this, here are the likely options that interim boss Mike Dodds may consider to manage the situation.
The back four which finished the Southampton game
In the Southampton fixture, Dan Ballard was substituted for Callum Styles in the final moments. This led to Leo Hjelde shifting to the center-back position alongside Jenson Seelt, while Trai Hume remained at right-back. Notably, the quartet had not played together as a back four before, with Hjelde and Styles only joining the club in January. This lack of familiarity resulted in Sunderland’s defense appearing disjointed in the closing stages at St Mary’s. Southampton’s substitute, Joe Rothwell, capitalized on this vulnerability, scoring twice in the final 13 minutes, bringing the score to 4-2.
Given the potential unavailability of Ballard, it seems likely that Hjelde, who has expressed a preference for playing as a center-back, may fill the role. The upcoming week provides Sunderland with ample time to prepare for the QPR fixture, and their defensive strategy will need to be significantly more cohesive than demonstrated in the closing stages against Southampton.
Bring Timothee Pembele into the side
Since his summer move from PSG to Sunderland, Timothee Pembele has featured in just five Championship matches, and he has yet to secure a starting spot for the Black Cats. This is partly attributed to the 20-year-old recovering from a long-term injury upon arriving in England, coupled with Trai Hume establishing himself as the preferred right-back at the Stadium of Light.
However, if Leo Hjelde transitions to a center-back role, it opens up the possibility for Hume to shift to the left side of defense. This, in turn, could create an opportunity for Pembele to make a starting appearance on the right. Despite his limited first-team action, Pembele has been available since December and has showcased his attacking prowess while playing for Sunderland’s under-21s side.
Switch to a back three
Having been appointed as the interim boss until the end of the season, Dodds expressed a willingness to make bold decisions. Despite the back three formation not yielding positive results against Swansea, Dodds has not dismissed the possibility of employing a similar system in the future.
In the previous season, Trai Hume has experience operating as a right-sided centre-back in a back three, suggesting he could potentially join Jenson Seelt and Leo Hjelde in that formation. Timothee Pembele and Callum Styles could then take on the roles of wing-backs if Sunderland decides to alter their tactical shape. Regardless of the chosen option, Dodds recognizes the need for some of his less experienced players to step up quickly, especially during this challenging stage of the season.