'Six to eight weeks' - Double Sunderland injury blow as Leeds United's promotion rivals face selection nightmare vs Millwall

Sunderland will be without Alan Browne and Romaine Mundle for around two months after the pair suffered serious injuries before the international break.

Leeds United’s promotion rivals have been handed a major blow going into the busy festive schedule, with manager Regis Le Bris confirming Wearsider’s worst fears. Browne and Mundle were both forced off during Sunderland’s 2-2 draw at home to Coventry, having picked up injuries during the same passage of play on their way to throwing away a two-goal lead.

And after further assessment during the international break, Black Cats boss Le Bris revealed that four-goal forward Mundle picked up a hamstring injury while experienced midfielder Browne has a broken leg. Both are expected to be out until at least the New Year.

“The two players will probably be out for six to eight weeks,” Le Bris told the Sunderland Echo. “Alan has broken a bone in his leg, but you can have a different level of fracture, so it will be six to eight weeks probably. Romaine has damaged his hamstrings, and will be out for roughly the same time.”

Losing Mundle and Browne would be a major blow on its own but Sunderland now face a selection nightmare ahead of Saturday’s trip to Millwall - a place both Leeds and Burnley have lost at in recent weeks. Trai Hume and Patrick Roberts will both serve one-game bans after picking up their fifth bookings of the season against Coventry, while midfielder Jobe Bellingham will also sit out through suspension.

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Mundle, Hume, Bellingham and Roberts have all started at least 12 of Sunderland’s 15 league games so far, with Browne starting all of the last three after being eased back from injury. Their collective absence leaves Le Bris without five first-team regulars for what looks set to be a difficult battle down at the Den.

“We have to manage the situation,” the Sunderland boss added. “As a coach, you would like to have the full squad available all the time, but it doesn’t really work like that, especially in a long league like the Championship with 46 games.

“We were prepared for that, but it’s always unpredictable. You have to expect that suspensions and injuries can occur, and with the quality of the group and the depth of the squad, we can manage many situations.

“We have to change many players – three, four, five, I don’t know exactly – but the players that will be coming in have been training with us and are talented players. They know the context, the culture and the game model, they just haven’t played with the team a lot in competitive games.”

Sunderland will at least have first-choice goalkeeper Anthony Patterson back for Saturday, although that will be scant consolation for the travelling Black Cats. Le Bris’ side currently top the Championship but could end the weekend outside the automatic promotion places, if they lose at Millwall while Sheffield United and Leeds beat Coventry City and Swansea City respectively.