Alex Neil gives Niall Huggins injury update with Sunderland defender travelling to Portugal

Niall Huggins nonetheless has a option to go earlier than he is able to resume his Sunderland profession, in accordance with Alex Neil. The 21-year-old full-back noticed his first season on Wearside wrecked by accidents, having made solely 4 appearances since he joined from Leeds United final summer time.

He initially suffered a stress fracture to the again in September, however throughout his rehab from that harm he suffered a heel drawback that Neil described in March as ‘weird’. Huggins has travelled with Sunderland for his or her pre-season journey to Portugal however isn’t coaching with the first-team squad, and has as a substitute been working with the membership’s medical employees.

Neil says Sunderland won’t rush the teen again, preferring to attend till he has made a full restoration to minimise the possibilities of a recurrence. “Sadly for Niall, he is not doing pre season with us in the mean time,” stated Neil.

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“He is nonetheless on the way in which again from his harm, which has clearly been ongoing. He is come out with us to work with the physios, he is a part of our group and we wish him to be concerned.

“We simply must make sluggish progress with Niall, so we will get him in the very best nick in order that he would not break down. It has been powerful for him.

“We worth him lots so we wish him to get match as quickly as we will, however there is no rush on it. It is actually vital we get him again to a degree the place he would not break down.”

The unique again difficulty was anticipated to maintain him out till January, however a setback in December noticed that timescale prolonged till March. However then got here the heel drawback which dominated him out of the rest of Sunderland’s play-off successful marketing campaign.

Again in March, Neil defined: “Sadly, Niall has obtained a extremely unusual harm – it is extremely uncommon. He is mainly broken his heel doing his rehab coming again [from the back injury].

“It was not by way of contact – I do not know precisely what it’s, it is a actually weird harm.”

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