Head physiotherapist Peter Brand has provided an insight into the work Duncan Watmore is undertaking behind the scenes.
The 24-year-old is now seven months into recovering from his second ACL injury, which was unfortunately sustained in Sunderland’s Sky Bet Championship match at the Stadium of Light against Millwall in November 2017.
However, following a successful operation and recovery period, Watmore is back on the grass and making positive strides that could hopefully see him return to first-team training in the coming months.
Speaking to safc.com, Brand offered an update on Watmore’s recovery process while outlining the work that’s still to be done.
“We are seven months into a nine to 12-month period of rehab,” he said.
“It is his second operation, so we are always going to be a little bit more cautious with this one.
“The reality is that Duncan is doing extremely well. He is seven months down the line and we are hopeful of getting him back within that nine to 12-month period.
“He has been in Portugal over the last week to take his rehab to the next level. Everything he has done up to now is very much strength and straight line running.
“He has progressed quickly and now he is running offline and he has got the footballs out. In the background he is continuing all his strength work.”
He continued: “A big thank you has to go to David Binningsley for all the tireless work he has done with him over the last two years.
“Duncan is now in a very good position to push on and he has got an excellent base to work from.
“He is working now with more the sport science side of things. The process over the next couple of months is to continue with the conditioning on the pitch and ball work, so that gradually he is progressing to being ready to train.”