Sunderland’s Jobe Bellingham embraces challenge of facing injury-hit Leeds

Leeds United will travel to the Stadium of Light to clash with promotional rival Sunderland. The two sides will be keen on three points to help their positioning in the Championship table as both want the automatic spots for promotion to the Premier League next season.

Nonetheless, both teams head into this clash with their set of injuries as this contest caps off three matches in one week for the Whites. Ilia Gruev, Ethan Ampadu, Manor Solomon, Dan James, Isaach Schmidt, and Max Wober are among the names on Leeds’ injury list.

Gruev is the latest name to suffer an injury as the midfielder left the 1-1 draw between Leeds and Norwich City. Nonetheless, Sunderland are also dealing with injuries to key players.

Manager Régis Le Bris has confirmed this week that two players will miss the match against Leeds. Eliezer Mayenda and Dan Ballard are still sidelined with injuries, so it’s unlikely they’ll be available to play.

Jobe Bellingham on facing Leeds United

Although Leeds are coming in with injuries to key players, Sunderland standout Jobe Bellingham doesn’t believe it will be a cakewalk for the Black Cats. It’s a derby, and he expects the away side to elevate their game and be a challenging opponent.

“This [Derby] was a different challenge to what that will be like,” Bellingham said (h/t Chronicle Live). “As we know, Leeds are really good opposition, so we are going to face the challenge and get through it together as a team and with the fans, who will be a massive boost.

“Leeds are a really good team with really good players and were right up there last season which is where we want to be. We have to go and compete against those types of teams and at home it’s a real advantage.”

The Whites have failed to defeat a club that’s a promotional rival early in this season. Daniel Farke and his team drew to West Bromwich Albion and then lost to Burnley, so beating Sunderland on the road could help the squad build confidence that they can win the league and earn automatic promotion to the Premier League next season.