Ndong blow restricts options for Burton trip

Chris Coleman admits he is no closer to playing his preferred side and formation ahead of Sunderland’s crucial away clash at Burton Albion tomorrow, writes Phil Smith.

Midfielder Didier Ndong has been ruled out for three weeks with a knee injury, while centre-back Marc Wilson is still unavailable.

Coleman should at least be able to call upon Lee Cattermole and Paddy McNair.

Cattermole was suspended for Tuesday’s defeat at Aston Villa, with McNair sitting out after playing 90 minutes against Millwall as he returns from a cruciate injury.

Boss Coleman says he still believes he has enough options in his squad to lift the club out of its current predicament. He said: “I’m still no closer to what I had in mind because we’re still missing one or two.

“I would have like to have played a certain way, but injuries won’t allow that at the moment.

“But I’m not uncomfortable with what we’ve got. I’m not negative about what we’ve got. I’m positive and I expect from them.

“Whatever formation we go with on Saturday – it will be different to the one I had in my head going into the Aston Villa game before Sunday – I’m confident it will be good enough.”

Coleman will, of course, be without Duncan Watmore and Jonny Williams as they begin their recovery from serious injuries picked up last weekend.

He said: “Jonny will be out probably for at least a month. It is hard to put a timeline on it.Maybe two months, anyway he won’t be available for the foreseeable future.

“With Duncan, it is more serious than that. He won’t play this season.

“To do it again on the back of having that injury before is a real hammer blow for the boy.”