ELLIOT Embleton is back at Sunderland after suffering more injury heartbreak, with the midfielder looking likely to need surgery and set for another lengthy spell on the sidelines.

The 24-year-old joined Derby County on a season-long loan move on deadline day but his time with the Rams has now effectively ended, with Embleton having said his goodbyes to coaches and teammates at the League One club before returning to the North East for treatment and rehab on a serious thigh injury.

Embleton joined Derby in the hope of getting some regular football as he worked his way back from a serious ankle injury that ruled him out for eight months. But after just one league appearance for Paul Warne's side, the midfielder suffered a freak injury in training.

Derby boss Warne said Embleton was "broken" and in tears after suffering the injury taking a corner in a light training session ahead of last weekend's trip to Carlisle United.

Warne said: “I knew it was severe last Friday because I went into the doctor’s room where he was laying down.

“He was in tears. I tapped him and told him I was sorry but he had no recollection of me going in the room because that’s how much of a dark place he was in, bless him.

"He went for the scan and it's severe. I think he will need surgical repair. I saw him in the car park on Tuesday because he came in to say goodbye to everyone. He is going to do his rehab back up in Sunderland because he is going to be out for a few months.

"He was just broken and I think people appreciate that playing football is a massive honour, but you work so hard and you dedicate every day to it. To work so hard to come back from the other injury and then go so far down the rehab, get minutes in and then minutes in the first team and build up to play the way he wanted to play and express himself - he was hugely excited by that

"To have that ripped away from him again in what is a freak injury is heartbreaking for him. I hugged him in the car park and felt for him. Hopefully, our careers will meet again soon."

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Derby will continue to make a contribution to Embleton's wages.

Sunderland made a late decision in the summer window to send Embleton out on loan in the hope he'd play regular football at Derby. The Black Cats were planning to then reassess the midfielder's situation in January, midway through his spell at Derby.

Explaining the decision at the time, sporting director Kristjaan Speakman said: "Elliot is purely a rehab programme. He needs minutes on the grass and whether or not we can provide them we weren't 100% sure.

"When the window closes you have to make a decision. Hopefully we've made the right decision, he play loads of games and can reassess, have a look in January and decide what we'll do moving forward."