After taking some time to think about it over the most recent international break, Tony Mowbray will be hoping the crushing loss the last time out was just a mishap.
The fact that Sunderland had won five of their previous six games before the defeat should not be discounted as they aim for another top-six finish with the ultimate goal of returning to the Premier League for the first time since 2017.
With three or more goals against Southampton, Queens Park Rangers, Blackburn Rovers, and Sheffield Wednesday, the attacking options have looked impressive. However, the defense is also deserving of praise.
The club had to make do with an improvised backline toward the end of last season, and they did so to great effect. This season, they have returned to a more familiar setup, and they currently have one of the best defensive records in the division, conceding the fourth fewest goals. However, to keep up the promotion push, they must continue to show their quality at both ends of the field.
However, if one of their key defenders gets hurt, Mowbray may have another challenge.
Despite playing the entire 90 minutes in Northern Ireland’s 3-0 victory over San Marino, Ballard suffered a minor thigh injury that required monitoring by the national team medical, according to James Copley of the Sunderland Echo.
The 24-year-old felt a “tightness” after the game, according to Irish manager Michael O’Neill, and fans back home in Wearside are praying the defender doesn’t worsen the ailment while away from home.
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When the former Arsenal player returns to training this week, Mowbray will obviously need to examine the situation, with last season’s defensive injury troubles likely playing an influence in his decision to hurry him back into contention to face Stoke City. If so, players like Trai Hume might join Luke O’Nien in their unconventional duo, or you might put your faith in Jenson Seelt, another young player, to rise to the Championship challenge.
It could be the ideal time to give new recruit Seelt his first league start for Sunderland, one of the various decisions Mowbray must make before the journey to Staffordshire.
The imposing center-back was one of several gifted young players who joined the Black Cats at the Stadium of Light this summer, reinforcing their commitment on developing players for the now and the future in their approach to player acquisition.
Despite having little first-team experience with PSV, the 20-year-old enters with a lot of potential after joining for a rumored £1.7 million cost. Since then, he has appeared in two Championship cameos in recent weeks.
As the defender continues to adjust to English football, Mowbray recently praised him.
With regard to Seelt and Nectarios Triantis, he remarked in an interview with Sunderland Echo: “I feel as if both of those young men have played maybe with an older head, a communicator, a talker, and I think in my mind with O’Nien it would be OK, I’m very sure because they have fantastic traits.m
They both want to win the ball, are mobile, and are aggressive, but occasionally they simply need a reassuring or calming voice next to them to remind them when to be aggressive and when to back off and let the player approach them naturally.
“Experience is gained through playing games, and that is all there is. Of course, we’ll make the calls when we need to, but for now, I’m content that Luke and Dan are handling it.
In light of this, game time will be key, and there is no better moment than the present to observe how Seelt adjusts to the demands of playing in the Championship and, more crucially, for a team as big and aspirational as Sunderland.
It won’t be simple, and there will probably be mistakes along the way, but if Ballard is out, Mowbray should put his trust in the young player once more and provide a valuable learning experience for the defender regardless of the outcome, as the long-term repercussions could be significant if he realizes his own potential.
