Elliot Embleton is set for a spell on the sidelines after suffering a thigh injury whilst on loan with Derby County.
The Rams boss, Paul Warne, confirmed in his press conference this morning that Embleton has returned to Sunderland for surgery.
The midfielder has been very unfortunate over the last year with injuries, spending nine months on the treatment table after breaking his ankle in December 2022.
Embleton was expected to return to action for Sunderland earlier this month but was instead shipped off to Derby County on a season-long loan, with the 24-year-old unlikely to break back into the Black Cats’ first team plans.
Embleton made his debut for the League One club in their 1-1 draw against Portsmouth, before starring in their win over Lincoln City days later.
The midfielder was hopeful of reigniting his career with Derby but was left heartbroken when suffering a freak injury taking a corner during a training session last week.
The former England youth international was left out of their clash with Carlisle United at the weekend and Warne has now confirmed he has said his goodbyes at Pride Park as he returns to Wearside.
“I knew it was severe last Friday because I went into the doctor’s room where he was laying down,” he said.
“He was in tears. I tapped him and told him I was sorry but he had no recollection of me going in the room because that’s how much of a dark place he was in bless him.
“He went for the scan and it’s severe. I think he will need surgical repair. I saw him in the car park on Tuesday because he came in to say goodbye to everyone. He is going to do his rehab back up in Sunderland because he is going to be out for a few months.
“He was just broken and I think people appreciate that playing football is a massive honour, but you work so hard and you dedicate every day to it. To work so hard to come back from the other injury and then go so far down the rehab, get minutes in and then minutes in the first team and build up to play the way he wanted to play and express himself – he was hugely excited by that.
“To have that ripped away from him again in what is a freak injury is heartbreaking for him. I hugged him in the car park and felt for him. Hopefully, our careers will meet again soon.”
Will Elliot Embleton play for Sunderland again?
Every Sunderland fan will feel extremely sorry for Embleton, who is enduring a really tricky period after previously retaining a regular place in the Black Cats’ starting line-up under Alex Neil and Tony Mowbray.
While Embleton could return to fitness before the end of the season, he could well not feature for his boyhood club again as he approaches the end of his contract next summer.
The club will definitely want to help Embleton get back to his best and find somewhere to play his football, but he has been left behind and is very unlikely to reach the high expectations set upon our young squad again.