Sunderland had a lot of positives to take from their goalless draw away at Burnley on Friday night, with the Black Cats putting in a solid performance. But one negative was Chris Mepham who was forced off with injury.
Sunderland will be ruing the fact that they didn’t beat Burnley at Turf Moor on Friday night, and move level on points with Championship leaders Leeds United in the league table.
Wilson Isidor left the pitch crying after missing two penalties on the night. Regis Le Bris has defended the striker but he’ll certainly feel as though his side should’ve taken all three points.
Nonetheless, the performance should give Sunderland confident ahead of their trip to Derby County on Tuesday night. Enzo Le Fee made his Sunderland debut as well and his strong performance has left a positive mood among fans.
But many are wondering whether centre-back Chris Mepham will be able to feature against the Rams in midweek.
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Regis Le Bris shares Chris Mepham injury update after Burnley draw
Bournemouth loan man Mepham was a rock at the back against Burnley. The Welsh international has now made 21 Championship appearances for the Black Cats in 2024/25 and looks undroppable right now.
But the 27-year-old was forced off in the 83rd minute after going down holding his leg. Speaking to the press after the game, Le Bris was asked for an update on the situation.
The Sunderland boss said: “We don’t know at the minute so we will see tomorrow. We are not sure if it could be very serious, we will see.”
Dan Ballard made his timely return to action on Friday night, coming on for Mepham. It now seems likely that Ballard and Luke O’Nien start against Derby and Mepham is rested, depending on how serious the injury is.
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Chris Mepham’s Sunderland future was clarified ahead of January
It’s no doubt that Mepham has become a key player for the Black Cats. And inevitably, there were fears of a Bournemouth recall going into this January transfer window.
But it was revealed in December that Bournemouth cannot recall Mepham in January, and so the towering centre-back will be at the Stadium of Light until the summer.
What happens then is anyone’s guess. His Bournemouth contract actually expires in the summer but the Cherries do have the option to extend his stay by a further year.
Sunderland’s game against Derby County kicks off at 7:45pm.