Sunderland have been handed a positive injury update going into the final run-in.
For Sunderland, injuries has been a key theme since their return to the Championship ahead of last season.
Tony Mowbray had it bad at one point with Ross Stewart’s injury the main absence, combined with a string of ither injuries.
And Michael Beale currently has his share of injured players, though the Black Cats have better squad depth this time round.
But one player who’s been absent for more than a year now is Corry Evans.
The Northern Irishman has been sidelined since the start of last year with an ACL injury, after playing a key role in the club’s promotion from League One and then the first half of the 2022/23 campaign.
Corry Evans makes return to action
The 33-year-old Evans was meant to be out of contract at the end of last season, though the club handed him a one-year extension as he worked on his return to action.
And now as he heads towards the end of his Sunderland stay, it’s been revealed that the 69-cap Northern Ireland international has returned to training, albeit with the U21s at first.
Evans’ potential Sunderland return could give club a decision to make
Evans is a very tricky situation.
He’s a player who’s well-liked among fans and up until his injury, he was a key player; captaining the club and providing some vital experience to a young side.
Though the Sunderland owners have proved to be quite ruthless when it comes to players over a certain age, and Evans appears to be well over the age of player that the club wants.
The Black Cats have done right by keeping Evans on the books whilst he works on his recovery, and if he can make a final appearance before the summer then it will be a nice moment for everyone involved.
But all signs are pointing to Evans leaving as a free agent in the summer.
For Evans though, it’ll mark the start of a new chapter; he remains a widely experienced player and if he can make a full return to fitness then he’d be a great coup for a lot of teams in the second tier or at the top end of League One.
Sunderland are next in action against 21st place Huddersfield Town in the Championship tomorrow, with a win for Beale’s side able to lift them as high as 5th depending on results for Coventry City and West Brom.