Sunderland face a major injury worry after Dan Ballard was left out of Northern Ireland’s squad.
Michael O’Neill side fell to a 1-0 defeat to Slovenia in their EURO qualifier last night, however Ballard wasn’t named in the team after picking up an injury at the weekend.
The defender, who has 15 international caps to his name, noticed tightness in his thigh muscle following Northern Ireland’s 3-0 victory over San Marino on Saturday.
O’Neill confirmed that Ballard faced a race to be available for last night’s clash, saying: “He woke up with a tightness in his thigh which we have just had to manage over the last 48 hours.
“It’s not like he was playing through something because obviously, we could have taken him off, but he didn’t alert us to anything. It is just something that has come on post-game.
“I think we have enough in the squad without calling anyone up. I think what we might look to do is add someone from the Under-21 squad if Daniel doesn’t make it.”
While there was a glimmer of hope that Ballard would be available, he was left out and will return to Wearside ahead of their trip to Stoke City.
However, it is unclear whether the 24-year-old will be fit to face the Potters either. While it was just a niggle that he picked up on international duty, he may still be forced to sit out of the visit to the bet365 Stadium.
Dan Ballard is the last player Sunderland want to lose
It’s certainly not the first time that Dan Ballard has returned from the international break, though last season the Black Cats had Danny Batth to take on a similar role.
However, Ballard’s absence would mean bringing in either Nectarios Triantis or Jenson Seelt, with the latter the most likely.
The Dutchman was brought on at full-back to replace the injured Niall Huggins against Middlesbrough and actually looked quite comfortable, despite the 4-0 defeat.
It will be a big game for Seelt to get his first start if Ballard is out, with fans desperate to improve on the horrific 5-1 loss against Alex Neil’s side back in March.
There is one positive to come out of Northern Ireland though, with Trai Hume named as their Man of the Match for his performance against Slovenia.