Regis Le Bris to sweat on Dan Ballard’s fitness as Sunderland defender continues to dominate
Regis Le Bris will hope Dan Ballard’s return from injury is sooner rather than later as the Sunderland defender continues to dominate the Premier League.
Ballard sustained a hamstring injury against Brighton as the Mackems fell to defeat versus the Seagulls in March.
The blow kept the 26-year-old out of the Tyne-Wear derby as well as forcing him to miss a crucial World Cup play-off against Italy for Northern Ireland.
Overall, they were two matches that the centre-back was likely looking forward to competing in for club and country.
However, his presence in the Sunderland backline will certainly be missed even more if he remains out for longer, due to this latest stat reveal.
Where does Dan Ballard rank for aerial duels in the Premier League?
At 6′ 2″, Ballard has made himself incredibly difficult to beat in the air, and that has been made clear by his Premier League figures.
Among every player in England’s top flight, Ballard ranks fifth for most aerial duels won throughout this season so far.
| Player | Aerial duels won |
| Virgil van Dijk | 147 |
| James Tarkowski | 125 |
| Sepp van den Berg | 118 |
| Thierno Barry | 110 |
| Dan Ballard | 101 |
This strength becomes even more important when you consider Sunderland’s style of play and the lack of control they have in their matches.
With the Black Cats averaging just 43.6 per cent possession per game, they can often be pinned back, leaving them open for plenty of crosses.
Having a player such as Ballard being able to win the number of aerial duels he does is an invaluable asset.
What is the latest on Dan Ballard’s injury?
Ballard looks set to miss Sunderland’s fixture against Tottenham, which would be quite the blow for Le Bris.
Opponents Spurs could receive the cliched “new manager bounce” with Roberto De Zerbi now at the helm of the North London club.
Having all his key players available would have certainly helped prevent that. Le Bris will now have to find a way to deal with any aerial threat without Ballard.
Luckily, Tottenham’s forward Dominic Solanke does not hold too much prowess with headers. He has scored just six headed Premier League goals since the 2022-2023 season.
However, the Black Cats will also be without a strong presence from set pieces of their own.
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