Sunderland player set to be ruled out of squad for Wembley final
Sunderland have a week left to gear themselves up for a truly massive Championship play-off final showdown with Sheffield United at Wembley.
Black Cats supporters are still celebrating the dramatic victory over Coventry City in the semi-finals on Tuesday (13 May).
But that is only half the job done, as a very strong Sheffield United side now await in the final in London on 24 May.
While there is still a week to go until the game, Sunderland already know one player who is unlikely to be involved in the squad.
Ahmed Abdullahi set to sit out play-off final
Ahmed Abdullahi‘s story at Sunderland so far has been one full of frustration, having yet to make his debut since joining from Gent last summer in a deal rumoured to be worth £2.5million.
Abdullahi has caught the eye for Sunderland’s Under-23s side on his limited outings, but he has just not been able to stay fit enough to force his way into Regis Le Bris’ plans.
Nigerian attacker Abdullahi was most recently absent for the Coventry game due to a lack of match fitness.
| Abdullahi | |
| Games played | 0 |
| Minuted played | 0 |
Now, according to the Sunderland Echo (16 May), the 20-year-old has since suffered a concussion on his return to training.
Concussion protocols would not technically rule him out of the Wembley showdown, but his further lack of minutes on the training pitch mean he is not likely to be considered for squad selection.
Abdullahi can play bigger part for Sunderland in 2025-26
Much was expected for Abdullahi this season following his arrival from Gent, but it is fair to say Sunderland have yet to get their money’s worth from the youngster.
It has been an incredibly tough period for Abdullahi, but the good news is he is said to be fully over the groin injury that has plagued him for so long.
Even if he had not suffered this concussion, it is still unlikely he would have played any part whatsoever against Sheffield United.
The hope now is that Abdullahi has a full pre-season under Le Bris and can play his part next season, regardless of what division Sunderland are in.