Sunderland’s Ian Poveda Expected to Rejoin Squad After Injury

Ian Poveda has played twice for Colombia. Sunderland is considering Ian Poveda for inclusion in the squad for Saturday’s Championship fixture against Norwich City at home. The winger, who transferred from Leeds United without a fee in July, had only made three substitute appearances this season prior to sustaining a thigh injury during a 2-0 victory over Derby County in October. “Ian has trained for just over a week now, so he’s in really good shape,” stated Regis le Bris, the Black Cats’ head coach, during his pre-match media conference. He added, “He’s not ready to play a full game, but he can be a substitute.” Over the last three years, Poveda, a Colombia international, also had loan periods with Blackburn Rovers, Blackpool, and Sheffield Wednesday, accumulating only 22 league starts. Sunderland currently holds fourth place in the Championship standings, trailing the automatic promotion spots by two points, ahead of their weekend encounter with the Canaries.