Graeme Murty has provided an update on the injured Sunderland duo, Elias Lenz and Zak Johnson.
Murty, the under-21s manager, acknowledged that there is currently no set timeline for their return. Johnson, who sustained a minor injury in training last week, missed both the under-21s match against Middlesbrough and the game against Liverpool on Monday. He was also absent from Régis Le Bris’ squad for the Championship match against Portsmouth.
Lenz, a summer signing from RB Leipzig, started against Middlesbrough but suffered a head injury during the match, leading to his replacement by Caden Kelly. He also missed the Premier League 2 fixture against Liverpool.
Murty commented on the uncertainty of their return: “There isn’t a specific timeframe yet. We’ll assess their recovery and ensure they return gradually. Elias’s return is subject to medical guidelines, so we must adhere to those to ensure he is fully fit. Zak’s issue arose from training, so we hope it won’t be too long, but we’ll follow the advice of our medical team.”
Lenz joined Sunderland from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig this summer, where he had been a standout player, including captaining RB Leipzig’s under-19s team for the past two seasons.
