Sunderland loan watch as Elliot Embleton left ‘heartbroken’ by new injury blow
Sunderland’s Elliot Embleton is set to undergo a scan today after suffering an injury in training while on loan at Derby County
Elliot Embleton was left ‘heartbroken’ according to Derby County boss Paul Warne after picking up an injury in training on the eve of the Rams’ 2-0 win at Carlisle United. On-loan Sunderland man Embleton is set to undergo a scan today after straining his thigh while taking a corner in training on Friday.
It is a blow for the midfielder, who has only just returned following a nine-month lay-off after breaking his ankle and suffering ligament damage while playing for the Black Cats in December last year. Embleton joined League One Derby on deadline day on a season-long loan and has made two appearances for the club, one as a substitute in the league against Portsmouth ten days ago, and then making his first start for the Rams in the midweek 2-0 EFL trophy win against Lincoln City, in which he played for an hour.
Warne told DerbyshireLive: “It is disappointing. We’ve built Elliot up really slowly, he’s done his rehab and we’ve built his minutes up.
“He played on Tuesday night [against Lincoln], had a recovery day Wednesday, had a light session Thursday, and a light session Friday. He took a set-piece, the fourth corner he had taken, and felt something in his quad so it’s hugely disappointing. In my career, I’ve never seen anybody pull anything taking a corner and it was right at the end of the session.
“You feel for Elliot first and foremost. He’s worked really hard to get himself into a position to play and then that happens.
“He was heartbroken. He will have a scan on Monday and see where we go from there.”
Derby’s victory moved them up three places to ninth in the table. Sunderland on-loan defender Joe Anderson came off the bench for the final five minutes of Shrewsbury Town’s 1-0 loss against Leyton Orient at Brisbane Road.
Ruel Sotiriou’s goal in the 20th minute was enough to give Orient the points and condemn the Shrews to their third consecutive league defeat, dropping them two places to 17th in the table. Anderson also came in as a substitute in the Shrews’ midweek EFL Trophy game against Brighton U21s at the New Meadow, where the game ended goalless.
Shrewsbury earned an additional point in the group game by winning a penalty shootout 4-1, with Anderson scoring the game-winning penalty kick. In League Two, on-loan Sunderland goalkeeper Alex Bass helped AFC Wimbledon stop their four-game league winless streak with a 3-1 victory over ten-man Walsall at the Bescot Stadium.
Connor Lemmonheigh-Evans put Wimbledon in front inside six minutes, and then the hosts found themselves a man down when Taylor Allen was sent off in the 37th minute for a bad challenge on Omar Bugiel. In the second half, Wimbledon failed to double their lead from the penalty spot when Armani Little saw his spot-kick saved, and in the 58th minute Walsall levelled through Freddie Draper.
But just three minutes later, Jack Currie put the Dons back in front and then Ali Al-Hamadi made it 3-1 with seven minutes remaining. Wimbledon moved up three places to eighth in the table.
Young Sunderland defender Zak Johnson joined National League Hartlepool United on a month-long loan on Friday, but he was not involved in their 1-0 win at Dagenham & Redbridge on Saturday.
