Despite a hugely successful year that saw Sunderland only just miss out on the Championship play-offs in their first attempt, the club have actually been rattled with injuries.
You probably wouldn’t have thought it looking from the outside in, but the defence that took on Luton Town back in May was far from what we would have hoped for in the biggest game of the campaign.
Niall Huggins, Dennis Cirkin, Dan Ballard, Aji Alese, Corry Evans, Elliot Embleton, Jewison Bennette, Chris Rigg, Ross Stewart.
Just some of the names that have found themselves sidelined for significant chunks of Sunderland’s time in the Championship.
While that list has gradually shortened and players have slowly returned to the team, we have begun to look more balanced, more capable and much stronger.
There is very few changes that would willingly be changed about our current starting line-up, with perhaps a centre-back and a striker the only position that may be altered in time.
So what happens to those six players that are still watching on from the treatment room?
We take a look at our injured stars and where they will fit in upon return…
Dennis Cirkin
Dennis Cirkin came so close to making his comeback when he was named in the starting eleven against Birmingham City, before he was forced to pull out with a hamstring injury in the warm-up.
However, the defender was only included in the team in O’Nien and Ballard’s absence, and it is unclear whether he would have actually made the cut if the pair weren’t suspended.
Niall Huggins has been very impressive since taking Cirkin’s place, and the 21-year-old definitely won’t be able to just walk back into the starting XI after over a month out.
It’s unclear when Cirkin will return this time round, but it would be a surprise to see him not feature over the Christmas period if he is fit.
Huggins is going to need a rest, and I would expect Cirkin to have a good crack at forcing his way back in.
While the Wales international has been brilliant, Cirkin is arguably still a class above when at his best.
Aji Alese
Aji Alese has only made one appearance in the past eight months for Sunderland, and that was the defeat to Luton in the play-offs.
The defender is getting closer to a return and it will be interesting to see where his preferred position is when we already have both Cirkin and Huggins battling it out for that left-back spot.
Alese spent a lot of his time on the left flank last season, though I could see him being brought back into provide O’Nien with competition in the middle.
Alese is easily one of our best defenders and was absolutely brilliant at times last season, so I would certainly hope he isn’t here to warm the bench.
The 22-year-old is perfectly capable at playing all across the backline and I would be very surprised if he doesn’t quickly force his way back into the team.
Timothee Pembele
There was quite a bit of excitement around Timothee Pembele’s arrival from Paris Saint-Germain, though the Frenchman is yet to make his debut due to injury.
Pembele has huge competition for place at right-back, with Trai Hume statistically one of our top-performers this season.
The Northern Irishman has been exceptional and I see no reason why he would lose his place anytime soon.
However, Hume will definitely need a rest every now and then and it will be a relief for Tony Mowbray if he is able to bring Pembele in rather than switching around the defence.
At only 21, I expect Pembele to challenge to become a key player in the Black Cats’ squad and hopefully the pair can help each other improve massively.
Corry Evans
Corry Evans’ injury was a huge blow, as he was the experienced veteran this very young squad required.
However, I don’t really think the starting line-up have missed him this season. Dan Neil and Pierre Ekwah have been excellent and have had to do a lot of maturing on their own to handle their new roles.
Corry Evans will have been out of action for around a year once he returns and I would be very surprised to see him get many chances back in the team.
The 33-year-old’s contract is up next summer and I see him just being a decent back-up till then, though I imagine Sunderland will also bring in another defensive midfielder for squad depth in January anyway.
Elliot Embleton
Another Sunderland player that I see no future with is Elliot Embleton.
The midfielder was important for us in winning promotion to League One, but I was far from impressed with him before he suffered an ankle ligament injury in December 2022.
Embleton will have spent over a year on the sidelines once he returns from his second injury and it will take him a lot to get back to his best.
The 24-year-old’s contract is also up next summer and I would be surprised if he wasn’t on his way out with Evans.
Jay Matete
I actually really like Jay Matete and I just think he needed a long run of games to impress at Sunderland, but he was never going to get it.
However, his loan spell at Plymouth Argyle was hugely successful and he probably would have made a real impact upon his return to Wearside if he didn’t get injured.
Matete could be back at the perfect time though, with Sunderland’s busy schedule this winter meaning Mowbray is likely to rotate the squad around.
Sunderland’s lack of squad depth in the middle means that the 22-year-old is likely to get his chance and will undoubtedly play his part for the rest of the campaign. The second half of the season is huge for Matete.