Dan Ballard is set to miss the start of the new Championship season next month after sustaining a knee injury in Sunderland's pre-season friendly win over South Shields.
Ballard was due to join the rest of Sunderland's first team squad in Spain this week after visiting a specialist in London on Monday before further tests revealed the extent of the injury.
Ballard underwent a minor surgery procedure in the capital before returning to the North East where he will continue his rehabilitation at the Academy of Light ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
Ballard, who captained Northern Ireland earlier this summer, is expected to be out of action for up to six weeks which means he is now a major doubt to start Sunderland's Championship season against Cardiff City in little over three weeks time.
It means Ballard, 24, may not return until late August with fixtures against Burnley at the Stadium of Light before a trip to Fratton Park to face newly promoted Portsmouth to close out the month.
Ballard, who moved to the Stadium of Light from Arsenal in 2022, was Sunderland's fourth ranked player in terms of minutes played in the 2023-24 season and formed part of the Championship's fifth best defence having endured a challenging first season on Wearside due to injury.
The defender suffered a broken foot in his debut appearance against Coventry City before missing the final two months of the 2022-23 season with a hamstring injury.
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Ballard is one of a number of players linked with a move to the Premier League having impressed last season but the 24-year-old still has three years remaining on his current deal on Wearside after agreeing an extension last summer.
Sunderland will be keen to keep hold of one of their key players as they look to improve on last season's 16th place finish in the Championship under new head coach Régis Le Bris.
Le Bris' side are set to face Premier League side Nottingham Forest and Segunda Divisón club CD Eldense during their warm weather training camp in Spain this week as preparations continue to step up ahead of the new campaign.
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