Daniel Ballard
Sunderland defender Daniel Ballard (26) has been ruled out after suffering an ankle injury, with the issue confirmed following a knock picked up against Brighton. The centre-back was deemed unavailable for the clash with Leeds, and the club will wait for further assessment to determine the full extent of the damage. His absence is another setback for Sunderland amid ongoing squad availability problems, and with a short turnaround before facing Manchester City, his chances of returning immediately appear slim unless testing brings unexpectedly positive news. (Source: Andy Sixsmith, BBC)
Update Friday 2 January 2026
Dan Ballard is unlikely to feature after missing the last two games through injury (Source: Sunderland).
⚪️🔴 I’ve just spoken to Regis Le Bris who updated me on the Dan Ballard injury:
— Andy Sixsmith (@andysixsmithtv) December 28, 2025
🗣️ “Dan got a kick on his ankle against Brighton and was a bit too short to be available today.
“He’s been really important for us - always a shame to lose a player like him. But you have to… pic.twitter.com/uo7ycmtta1