Liverpool striker Jayden Danns will not play any part in Sunderland’s promotion push after being ruled out for the rest of the season.
The 19-year-old academy graduate signed on loan for the Championship club on deadline day in February, but remained on Merseyside for treatment after concerns over a back injury were flagged during his medical.
There was hope initially that Danns would recover and be able to feature for Sunderland towards the back end of the campaign, potentially in the play-offs.
However, that has now been dashed and Liverpool’s focus is on getting him ready for the start of pre-season training in July.
“He won’t play with us this season. It is definitive now,” Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris told reporters on Friday.
Sunderland beat off interest from several Championship clubs to secure the teenager’s services. Le Bris’ side are fourth in the table and 16 points ahead of seventh-placed Middlesbrough with five games remaining.
Danns, who has scored three goals in nine senior appearances for Liverpool, became the youngest player in the club’s history to start a Champions League game when he lined up against PSV Eindhoven in January.
(Jan Kruger/Getty Images)