Sunderland AFC: Regis Le Bris drops update on Dan Ballard and Eliezer Mayenda situations | OneFootball

The Black Cats were victorious without the key duo last time out.

Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris has revealed that there is uncertainty about whether Dan Ballard and Eliezer Mayenda will be fit to play against Luton Town on Wednesday evening.

Without the pair, the Black Cats managed to cope fine enough against Hull City on Sunday. They came away from the game with a 1-0 victory over the Tigers, with the sole goal being scored in somewhat controversial fashion by Wilson Isidor.

The victory kept them at the top of the Championship, but the gap to those below them did not grow, despite teams changing places.

8 of Sunderland's first-team players missed that game due to injury. Most of the unavailable players have had long-term injuries/absences, but Ballard and Mayenda were much closer than others to making the cut.

They were dealing with respective ankle and muscle issues, and were ultimately judged by the club to not be ready to play against Hull.

There was some hope that they could be fit enough in time for Sunderland's midweek match-up with Luton. The Hatters are hosting their second game in a row at Kenilworth Road after they beat rivals Watford 3-0 on Saturday.

Rob Edwards' side may have had a very underwhelming start to the season, but they are certainly not a team to take lightly. Having Mayenda and Ballard available would be a boost for the Black Cats as they prepare to face the former Premier League side. Whether they will be available still remains in doubt.

Regis Le Bris provides an update on Dan Ballard and Eliezer Mayenda's fitness

The Frencham left Sunderland supporters with a bit of a cliffhanger after he provided no definitive answer on whether he will have the Northern Irish defender and the Spanish attacker available on Wednesday evening.

Speaking at his press conference ahead of his side's trip to the south, he said that the return of the two players remains a possibility, as per the Sunderland Echo.

He added: "We will have to see with these two players. It is possible they could be back to play some part this week, but we need to wait and see how they are looking. We will have to wait and see, and then make a decision."

Le Bris also explained that the rest of the long-term absentees from the Sunderland squad aren't close to making any returns, with the likelihood for many of them being a return after the next international break in November.

Sunderland's recent recruitment has been vital in this period

Losing players like Ballard and Mayenda could have hit the Black Cats quite hard had they not had a sufficient level of depth in their squad. Luckily for them, having an international defender and an in-form forward away from the squad for an extended period has caused little to no problems.

Two summer recruits - Chris Mepham and Isidor - have stepped up while they've been gone. Even the emergence of January signing Romaine Mundle has helped to make up for Ian Poveda's lack of impact on Sunderland since he joined in July.

The way that they have gone about their business has set them up to succeed even when luck hasn't gone in their favour with respect to injuries, and the hierarchy at the Stadium of Light have to be praised for that.