Sunderland are likely to be without Leon Dajaku for their Championship showdown against Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.
What’s the news?
Speaking in his latest press conference ahead of the Black Cats’ clash against the west London side, Alex Neil had this to say on the situation.
He said:
“I doubt Leon will be available, he’s had a recurrence of his thigh problem.”
Dajaku only came on as a very late substitute during Sunderland’s 3-2 win over Bristol City last weekend after Neil revealed the fitness issues the player had.
The 21-year-old was then not included in the squad for midweek’s 2-0 defeat against Sheffield Wednesday in the Carabao Cup.
A big blow for Sunderland
The Wearside club signed the German on loan from Union Berlin during the previous summer transfer window.
After making 22 League One appearances for the Black Cats, in which he scored four goals and provided four assists, Sunderland signed him on a permanent deal in May.
In those 22 league appearances, the youngster racked up the third-highest rate for goals per shot (0.57) at the club, which shows that when he got into goalscoring positions, he provided a big threat.
He also delivered 53 crosses in total, leaving only four other players with more, highlighting how dangerous he can be in terms of setting up goalscoring opportunities for his teammates as well.
Are you confident Sunderland will beat QPR?
As well as this, the 21-year-old showed off his versatility by playing on both sides of the pitch when called upon, which would surely make him a useful asset for the club this season.
Bearing in mind how Neil said that revealed that Dajaku has suffered a reoccurrence of his thigh problem, this could become a big concern if it doesn’t heal and ultimately keeps him out of action for a significant period of time.
With tomorrow’s game in mind, the fact that Neil’s side managed to not only pick up their first three points of the season last weekend, but also racked up more shots at goal (16) than Bristol (15), this should fill the Sunderland boss and their supporters that they will have enough firepower to overcome QPR with the attacking players they have available.
Moving forward, the best thing the Black Cats can hope for now is that the attacker recovers from this issue as soon as possible and can become a reliable option for Neil to use throughout the season.
