Following more injury setbacks prior to the match, Sunderland’s roster was severely stretched at Millwall.
However, Regis Le Bris claims there is still a chance Dennis Cirkin, Leo Hjelde, and Nazariy Rusyn might feature in Sunderland’s next two games following their unexpected absence at Millwall on Saturday.
During the 0-0 draw with QPR, Cirkin injured his wrist, but he played through the pain in the following two games. He is still recuperating, though, as the injury necessitated surgery during the international break. ‘Short recovery period’ is when he will return to play, the club announced on Saturday.
Although Hjelde travelled with the team, Rusyn was also not present. Le Bris doesn’t anticipate the two being out for an extended amount of time, but they are doubtful for Tuesday night’s match against West Brom at the Stadium of Light.
“Leo and Naz were both injured, we don’t think they are major injuries but they weren’t available for us on Saturday,” Le Bris stated.
The return of Jobe Bellingham, Patrick Roberts, and Trai Hume for suspension will significantly increase Le Bris’s options. Milan Aleksic made a strong debut from the bench to demonstrate that he can be relied upon to play more minutes going forward, despite missing a late opportunity to secure all three points at The Den.
“It was his first opportunity and he has earned these minutes,” he stated.
“It was a challenging situation to continue with. He accomplished this by pushing himself to the limit and giving it his all. It now comes down to practice and gaining experience. He has a lot of qualities that will benefit us, I believe.
At Millwall, Aaron Connolly was substituted off in the second half. He later stated that he had been pulled as a precaution following a brief episode of vertigo. Having scored his first goal, he was optimistic about playing in the upcoming games.
