Jordan Willis has been with Sunderland since joining from Coventry City back in 2019.
Willis, 27, has made 50 league appearances for the Black Cats since his 2019 move. He made 15 League One appearances last season but hasn’t featured since the start of the year.
He ruptured his patella tendon in February of this year and faced a six-month spell on the sidelines. Shortly after though, it was reported that Willis has to have a second operation to fix the injury, which at the time was thought to rule him out for a further ‘nine to 12 months’.
Sunderland extended Willis’ contract so that he’d remain at the club up until next summer, but what’s the latest regarding his return to action?
Unfortunately for Willis, there’s been nothing to report since April. Reports coming out after his second operation suggested that he could miss the entirety of this season through injury and so that’ll cast his entire Sunderland future in doubt.
Nine to 12 months was the timeline set in April, and so in the best case scenario Willis could make his return to action before the season is out – worst case scenario is that he misses the entirety of this season, which would then leave the Black Cats with a tough decision to make with his deal expiring next summer.
The centre-back became a key competent of the side during the 2019/20 season, in which he featured 35 times in League One – 40 times in all competitions.
He’s a commanding and athletic central defender and his presence would undoubtedly have been utilised this season, though it remains a long and arduous road to recovery for the Englishman who may well have played his final game in red and white.
