"He will play" - Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris makes Dan Ballard promise | OneFootball

The Black Cats boss has made it clear that Ballard remains a key member of the squad upon his return from injury.

Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris has made it clear that centre-back Dan Ballard still has a major part to play for the Black Cats this season, as the defender makes his way back from injury.

Ballard has suffered a string of frustrating injury setbacks through the early stages of the season, after first injuring his knee in pre-season which required minor surgery, only to suffer a blow to his ankle in the closing stages of a 3-2 defeat to Plymouth Argyle on 14 September.

However, the 25-year-old has now recovered from that ailment, and has been called up to the Northern Ireland squad for their November international fixtures against Belarus and Luxembourg respectively.

So, despite making just five appearances for Sunderland in all competitions so far this season, Le Bris is adamant that the former Arsenal youngster hasn't lost his leading role in his Black Cats squad.

Dan Ballard "will play"

Speaking in an interview via The Northern Echo, Le Bris said: "I speak with the players regularly. It is one of my main tasks. The first one is to create the environment to work together, to give the right direction about the game model and so on. The second one is to be close with the players for their individual project and the place they have in our shared project.

"We have spoken with Dan a lot. He struggled with his knee in pre-season and then he came back, not in his best match fitness I don't think. He tried and worked hard for the team, and then got a new injury in his new ankle.

"It has not been the start of the season he would have hoped for but sometimes you need to struggle to learn and to find a new reference for the future.

"I think he's in this situation right now and I'm still very confident for him, the level he will reach and how much he is going to help us.

"I don't know when, but it is going to happen for sure. I like him and I like the player, and there are 31 games to play. He will play, for sure. If he can get some minutes for the national team, it will be good for us."

Ballard will still have to earn his place in the starting XI due to significant strength in depth

Ballard truly established himself as a pivotal part of Sunderland's squad last season, as well as one of the better centre-backs in the Championship, as he made 43 league appearances and bagged three goals in 2023/24.

That came after an injury-plagued debut season at the Stadium of Light in 2022/23, as he first suffered a broken foot which saw him miss 23 games, before suffering a hamstring injury that would ensure he'd be absent for a further 12 games - per Transfermarkt.

As such, staying fit has been Ballard's biggest challenge as far as getting playing time is concerned, but now he looks set to face an additional obstacle - squad depth.

Le Bris has a talented stable of central defenders to choose from when everyone is fit, as Chris Mepham has come into the side in place of Ballard and performed exceptionally well.

Luke O'Nien continues to be an excellent servant too, and as well as his largely consistent performances on the pitch, his presence in the starting XI from a leadership and character perspective makes him a tough player to leave out.

In addition to those two, 23-year-old Aji Alese was playing very well at the start of the season before picking up an ankle injury of his own in late August, but he is now nearing a return to full fitness, and will be pushing for a place in the starting lineup once again.

After suffering an ACL injury in a league fixture against Southampton back in March, Dutch centre-back Jenson Seelt also appears to be closing in on a return to fitness, after becoming somewhat of a forgotten man on Wearside.

He too has shown himself to be a player who possesses plenty of talent and potential, and will be desperate to make an impression on Le Bris, whilst Leo Hjelde is also another option the Black Cats boss can call upon.

Therefore, whilst it's expected Ballard will reprise his role in the centre of defence, there are plenty of players who have strong claims to a starting spot too, and so he will have to be at the top of his game to cement his place in the Sunderland lineup.