Mac adds to Cats’ defensive worries
CONOR McLaughlin is expected to miss Sunderland’s promotion run-in after undergoing a second hernia operation as the Black Cats’ central defensive injury crisis goes from bad to worse.
Boss Lee Johnson also cofirmed on-loan Wolves man Dion Sanderson has been struggling with a back injury and, while a scan revealed no stress fracture, he will need a period of rest.
Tom Flanagan remains sidelined with a broken bone in his foot but may be able to return at some stage with the aid of a painkilling injection, while Jordan Willis (patella tendon) and Arbenit Xhemajli (cruciate ligament) had already been ruled out for the rest of the campaign.
That leaves Johnson with only two fit senior centre-backs in the shape of Bailey Wright, who has just returned after a two-month absence with a torn calf, and Luke O’Nien, who is primarily a midfielder but has proved himself more than capable of filling in as a central defender.
Johnson has promoted Ollie Younger from the under-23 side to the first-team squad and he is set to be on the bench as cover today when Sunderland look to put back-to-back defeats behind them and reignite their promotion challenge at Blackpool.
“Conor is out,” said Johnson, who was forced into a late change in the midweek defeat at Wigan when McLaughlin pulled out of the game having felt discomfort in the warm-up.
“He had a hernia operation in January and now he has had another.
“It is something which often happens when you have had a hernia operation, there is a 50 per cent chance the other side will go and unfortunately that is what has happened.
“As to whether his season is over, I suppose it depends how far our season is extended whether we are in the play-offs or not - but to make a full recovery from a hernia you are probably talking three to four weeks so potentially it could be the end of his season.”
Johnson said after the Wigan game that Sanderson had been carrying a back problem and while he refused to rule the 21-year-old out for the rest of the campaign he will be missing for a period of time as he recovers.
The head coach added: “It is difficult news I suppose because Dion is not going to be right in the short term.
“It was best-case scenario in terms of there being no fracture but there is a potential onset for a fracture with the pain.
“To be fair he has been struggling in the past two games to get through it and has shown his warrior spirit by wanting to play and actually playing.
“You may have caught him wincing on four or five occasions at Wigan so it became too much to manage by therapy.
“It became a scan and we looked at that and like I say it was best-case scenario - no stress fracture which is good but he is going to need some rest and recuperation period to heal and to get rid of the inflammation. He is not out for the season.”
Johnson went on: “Dion is not our player so we have to consider the communication and open lines with Wolves but I think Dion’s opinion matters hugely as well.
“I think his opinion is: ‘I am very much up for the fight and I am frustrated by this. It is a setback but it is not fatal.
“I love Dion to bits, he has done ever so well since he has come in and really manned-up.
“He gives us good speed at the back, good intelligence and good technical ability with his passing.
“We will miss him but I suppose a timely return from Bailey Wright means we will just about cope within that back line.”
On-loan left-back Jake Vokins has been out of action in recent weeks after he contracted Covid-19 and then an ECG detected a heart murmur.
The Southampt0n another test this week.
He has been given the all-clear to return to training but now needs to rebuild his fitness. player underwent