Worrying Sunderland AFC player news emerges ahead of Sheffield United play-off final | OneFootball

The Black Cats may be without Romaine Mundle for their play-off final at Wembley this weekend.

Sunderland are facing a huge blow ahead of their play-off final meeting with Sheffield United as Romaine Mundle has emerged as a major injury doubt.

The Black Cats go into the final knowing they could be 90 minutes away from ending their decade-long exodus from the Premier League, but they will face the sternest of tests against the Blades, who finished 14 points above Sunderland in the regular season and dispatched Bristol City in the play-off semi-final with ease.

Nevertheless, Sunderland showed the grit and determination required to come through their clash with Coventry City, netting a late extra-time winner through Dan Ballard despite Regis Le Bris’s men being far from their best.

Major improvements will need to be made when they step onto the sacred Wembley turf, but they are expected to be backed by 36,531 bouncing Mackems to help try and push them over the line and back into the big time.

Meanwhile, Sunderland aren’t set to have the luxury of picking from a fully fit squad to pick from after Mundle’s latest development.

The 22-year-old is an exciting talent to have out wide, but he faces a race against time to play a part in their biggest game of the season.

Romaine Mundle a major doubt ahead of Sheffield United meeting

As per the Sunderland Echo, Romaine Mundle is a serious injury doubt ahead of the play-off final.

The attacker did not train with his teammates in the following days after their play-off semi-final victory over Coventry, despite making his return from a previous five-week layoff.

It is believed that Mundle has suffered a second hamstring problem of the campaign, with loanee Enzo Le Fee expected to be called upon once again should the former Tottenham Hotspur academy graduate not make it. It is considered a distinct possibility that Mundle will not be available.

He will be given every chance to feature though, and could step up and make a return to training in the days leading up to the Wembley showpiece, but any action is likely to be from the substitutes' bench given the nature of the issue.

Meanwhile, defender Aji Alese could be fit enough to feature in the matchday squad after being absent since January with a fractured leg.

The Black Cats are also believed to be monitoring Patrick Roberts this week after the winger hobbled off towards the latter stages of the game with a minor calf injury.

Sunderland will be hoping for a rapid Romaine Mundle recovery

A lively and promising figure towards the start of the regular season, Romaine Mundle has suffered a number of injury issues that have hampered such a bright start.

A return to the squad in the second leg gave Sunderland that added depth to change personnel when a match wasn’t playing out as expected, and Mundle has the potential to change the game with his explosive pace, willingness to drive at defenders and trickery, making him a menace for Championship defenders to deal with.

He has the potential to be such a key figure in Sunderland securing victory at Wembley, and it will be such a bitter pill to swallow if he misses out on this mammoth tie.