Tony Mowbray rules 30-year-old Sunderland man out of Middlesbrough clash

Sunderland look set to be without this key player tomorrow.

Author:
Luke Phelps
Publish date:
Oct 6, 2023 8:35 AM EDT

Sunderland look set to be without Alex Pritchard ahead of tomorrow's Championship clash vs Middlesbrough.

Sunderland host rivals Middlesbrough in tomorrow's early kick off in the Champiosnhip.

The Black Cats sit in 4th place of the table as things stand compared to Boro down in 17th, though Michael Carrick's side have won their last three in the league.

Sunderland have won five or their last six and Pritchard has featured in five of those, starting four amid injuries to the likes of Bradley Dack and Pierre Ekwah in the Black Cats midfield.

The 30-year-old though missed the last outing vs Watford and speaking ahead of tomorrow, Tony Mowbray told Teesside Live:

"He's probably unlikely to play at the weekend - he's got a slight calf strain. Calf strains are really delicate things. If you gamble, then you can end up with a tear rather than a niggle. It will be touch and go whether he can make it, and I'll sit and have a chat with Alex and see how he feels.

"The scan showed very minimal damage, but it did show damage so collectively we felt it was better he left it [last night] and there is an international break coming up, but we haven't nailed down Saturday yet - we'll wait and see how he is and if he trains over the next few days."

Thankfully for Mowbray, he has some good names in Pritchard's position and in the midfield department as a whole.

And there's also the international break just around the corner and so it gives the likes of Pritchard and Sunderland's other injured players to get up to speed.

Tomorrow's game kicks off at 12:30pm.

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