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Two first-teamers back - but one still out - as Sunderland prepare for Preston trip
CHRIS RIGG and Dan Ballard are available for Sunderland’s game at Preston on Wednesday night, but Anthony Patterson is not expected to feature in the game at Deepdale.
Rigg missed Sunderland’s weekend draw at QPR because of a chest issue, but the teenager has been passed fit to return to full training and is expected to be back in the starting side at Preston.
His availability is a major boost given that Jobe Bellingham will not be available on Wednesday as he starts a three-match suspension imposed in the wake of his sending off at Loftus Road.
“Obviously, when we think about a problem in the chest, we can think many, many things about the issue,” said Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris. “Fortunately, it wasn't bad and he trained very well this morning, so I'm very pleased for sure. Pleased for him and pleased for the team because he's very important for us.
“For the balance of the team, it's very interesting on that side with Patrick (Roberts), with Trai (Hume), they are playing so well in that triangle and when you lose an element like that, we need to recreate or rebuild something new. You need time and sometimes it's different with a different output, but it's important for us and I'm happy he will be in the team for Preston.”
Ballard will also be back in the squad for the first time in more than a month, having completed his own recovery from the ankle injury sustained in September’s defeat at Plymouth.
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The centre-half suffered a setback on his initial return from the problem, so with Luke O’Nien and Chris Mepham in good form at the heart of the back four, Le Bris will not be rushing Ballard’s comeback.
“He feels good, and I think when he returned the first time, he struggled because he wasn’t 100 per cent from his feelings about his ankle,” said the Black Cats boss. “Now, he's really good, so it's different and when you struggle with pain, it's still difficult to find the right behaviour on the pitch.
“Now, he's good, and we know that we have many players with four yellow cards, so we don't know when it will happen (that players will be missing).”
Patterson has missed the last two games with a muscular injury, and while the goalkeeper is gradually stepping up his training programme, he will not be risked against Preston, with Simon Moore set to deputise for the third match in a row.
“The (injury) report is done every morning, and it was better this morning,” said Le Bris, when asked about Patterson’s situation. “Probably for Preston, it will be too short, but we’ll see for Saturday (against Coventry).”
