DAN BALLARD and Aji Alese will not be involved in Sunderland’s two-legged play-off semi-final against Luton Town.

With Dennis Cirkin and Lynden Gooch both injury doubts for Saturday’s first leg at the Stadium of Light after suffering knocks in last weekend’s win at Preston, it had been hoped that either Ballard or Alese might be able to feature.

However, Ballard is still to return to training after suffering a serious hamstring injury while on international duty with Northern Ireland in March, and while Alese has taken part in some light training this week, the fact he has been sidelined for more than two months means Tony Mowbray does not want to risk him at the weekend.

Mowbray said: “I think Dan’s too far away at this moment to make these games. They come pretty quickly – Saturday, Tuesday – so I don’t think Dan Ballard is going to make it.

“Aji is out there with the physios today, side-footing volleys and running in and out of cones. But he hasn’t kicked a ball for nine weeks.

“I don’t think so (him playing). The team have done amazingly well and have just won away to Preston 3-0. I’m not sitting here thinking we desperately need to get these players back in straight away.

“They would help, of course, and it would be great to be able to put a player or two on the bench that would enable us to get them on if we needed to see a game out. But I’m not sure that’s going to happen.”