Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray has confirmed that his club captain, Belfast’s Corry Evans, could be in line for a return to action before the end of the year.
The Northern Irishman suffered a devastating ACL knee injury in January, which ended his season prematurely. Evans watched on from the sidelines as the Black Cats powered to a top-six finish.
They will be hoping to go one better in 2023/24 and secure a return to the Premier League, so the return of the inspirational Evans for the busy festive period of games could not be better timed.
Captain Corry
It would be fair to say that Sunderland’s run to the play-offs last season was somewhat unexpected, with their chances of repeating the feat this term considered an outside possibility at best. The football winning odds for Championship promotion make the Black Cats a 6/1 underdog behind the likes of Leicester City (13/8), Leeds United (15/8) and Southampton (5/2).
Matters will be made harder by the absence of a handful of stars that lit up the Stadium of Light on loan last season, but there’s more positive news for Ross Stewart; he, like Evans, suffered a serious injury in January but is now back in light training and targeting a return to first-team action later this year.
The prognosis of Stewart and Evans will be vital for Sunderland’s chances this term given that, between them, they combined for 33 appearances and ten goals last season prior to their respective injuries. The Scot is a natural goalscorer, while Evans’ street-smarts in midfield and inspirational leadership provide the firmest of foundations.
A run of nine games without defeat (W4 D5 L0) to end the 2022/23 campaign showcased just how well the Black Cats were firing under Mowbray, so the aggregate defeat to Luton Town in the play-off semi-final was, therefore, an anti-climactic end to a season of such promise.
Experience the Key for Mowbray
The beauty of having players like Evans, Danny Batth and Alex Pritchard on your books is that they bring a wealth of experience to the table, which is vital in what is otherwise an inexperienced squad at Sunderland.
It’s not gone unnoticed by Mowbray that he needs to increase the average age of his squad to be in line with their Championship rivals, as naivety was most cruelly exposed in crucial games like the play-off double-header against Luton.
So the Black Cats’ boss has made it imperative to add more seasoned campaigners like Evans to his ranks during the summer transfer window. “When the tough days come, and they will come throughout the season, you need a bit of experience in your dressing room to calm things down,” Mowbray admitted.
He also admitted that his senior players have more of an influence on the dressing room than his coaching staff, believing experienced pros to be more ‘powerful’ when it comes to steadying the ship during a loss of form.
Whether Sunderland experience many of those this season remains to be seen, but if they do the nous of Evans and co will be vital in keeping their teammates on course for a potential promotion push.
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