Sunderland may have Bertrand Traore back in the matchday squad for Saturday’s trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium, with Régis Le Bris saying the winger’s situation improved enough this week to bring him into contention for FPL Gameweek 37. Traore was left out in Gameweek 36, but the head coach said on Friday that the squad is now fully fit apart from Romaine Mundle.
Ballard remains out too, but for a very different reason. The defender is serving a three-match ban after his red card in Gameweek 35, leaving Sunderland without one of their regular options as they prepare for another league test. Mundle’s hamstring injury has already ended his season, so the main selection call now sits around whether Traore is ready to return after a stop-start spell.
Le Bris made clear that Traore’s case was handled with more caution than a standard recovery. He said the club had a full group last week and that he had to make a choice, adding that Traore’s path back was different from Jocelin and Nilson, who had already returned in the previous two gameweeks. The coach also said he spoke to Traore directly and was “clear and honest” about the decision.
That caution was tied to the nature of the problem. Le Bris described Traore’s issue as a re-injury and said it was not easy to manage, especially because it was a new injury for the player as well. He said the situation was “much, much better” this week and that the call felt more consistent than it had before, which is why the forward could now be in line for the squad at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The injury picture leaves Sunderland in a relatively strong place, but not without complications. Traore returned to training last week, yet he was overlooked for Gameweek 36 as the staff took their time. Ballard’s suspension and Mundle’s season-ending hamstring problem mean Le Bris has fewer moving parts than earlier in the campaign, but the late-season pressure remains on getting the balance right for Gameweek 37.
For Sunderland, the immediate question is no longer whether they have players available, but how quickly Traore can be trusted after a knee issue that Le Bris said was “totally new” for him. The answer will shape whether the winger is simply in the squad on Saturday or ready to play a larger role as the season closes.
