Major Sunderland injury concern emerges ahead of Middlesbrough clash | OneFootball

Sunderland are facing a major injury concern ahead of this weekend's clash against Middlesbrough

Alan Browne has emerged as a potential injury concern for Sunderland ahead of their clash with Middlesbrough this weekend.

According to The Northern Echo, the midfielder appeared at a fan forum on Tuesday evening with his leg in a protective brace.

The Irishman featured off the bench in the Black Cats’ 3-2 defeat to Plymouth Argyle last weekend, but could be a doubt for the visit of Boro to the Stadium of Light.

Browne signed for Sunderland during the summer, arriving from Preston North End as a free agent.

So far, he has made four league appearances for the Wearside outfit, including two starts (all stats from Fbref).

Alan Browne injury concern

Browne was reportedly complaining about discomfort in his knee, which led to him being placed in the brace following a series of tests.

The club are hoping that the move is just precautionary, as they wait to find the results of the tests.

No timeframe has yet been given on a potential absence, but there are fears he could be unavailable for the clash at home against their local rivals.

It is understood that Browne told supporters at the fan forum that the decision to wear a brace was done out of caution rather than due to the results of any scans.

The midfielder was in attendance along with the club’s other summer signings, including Ian Poveda, Wilson Isidor, Abdul Samed, Chris Mepham and others.

Samed will also be unavailable for the game against Middlesbrough this weekend due to injury, with the 24-year-old set to be back within the next two weeks, according to the Sunderland Echo.

Dan Ballard’s fitness is also a concern, with the defender hobbling off in the closing stages of their loss to the Pilgrims last Saturday.

However, it remains uncertain the extent to which he is a fitness concern, and he could yet still be available this weekend.

Sunderland league position

Sunderland have made a positive start to the new Championship campaign despite the 3-2 loss to Plymouth last weekend.

The Black Cats sit second in the Championship table after the first five games, one point behind leaders West Brom.

Régis Le Bris will be hoping to get the team back to winning ways when they face local rivals Middlesbrough on Saturday afternoon.

The two sides will meet at the Stadium of Light in a 12.30pm kick-off, with Boro sitting 10th in the standings heading into the weekend.

Browne absence would be a blow for Sunderland

Browne has made a positive impact at Sunderland already, so any kind of injury would be a blow for the game against Boro.

A protective knee brace is a concerning image, but it’s reassuring for supporters that it is only a precautionary measure at this stage.

But a significant knee injury does have the potential to keep him out for a lengthy absence, depending on just how bad it is.