JEWISON BENNETTE will miss the rest of the season after suffering a dislocated shoulder while on international duty with Costa Rica.

And to complete a miserable international fortnight for Sunderland, Dan Ballard has been ruled out for up to three weeks after injuring his hamstrings with Northern Ireland.

Bennette missed Costa Rica’s Concacaf Nations League defeat to Panama earlier this week, having damaged his shoulder during a training session.

Costa Rica’s medical staff have informed their counterparts on Wearside that the 18-year-old has suffered a dislocation, and while Sunderland’s medical team will conduct scans of their own in the next couple of days, Tony Mowbray has already accepted Bennette is extremely unlikely to play again this season.

“Jewi has dislocated his shoulder and is finished for the season, I think,” said the Black Cats boss. “I’m not a medical expert, but he probably needs an operation and it pinning.

“Otherwise, particularly with dislocations, you can think you’re alright but then the first time you fall over in pre-season, you do it again and it’s another three months. We’ll assess that when he gets back in the building, but from their medical department in training, the update is that he’s dislocated his shoulder and popped it out of the joint.”

Ballard damaged his hamstrings while playing in Northern Ireland’s Euros qualifying defeat to Finland, and the centre-half will miss Friday’s trip to Turf Moor to take on Championship leaders Burnley as well as the Easter double-header against Hull City and Cardiff City.

“I’m not getting upset about injuries,” said Mowbray. “It’s part and parcel of football and we have to get on with it. It’s an opportunity for other players to show what they can do. The squad are getting minutes and game time, and the young players are doing alright, and this is an opportunity for young players to get more game time on the pitch.”

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Elliot Embleton has been sidelined since mid-December with an ankle injury, and while Mowbray had previously expressed a hope that the midfielder might be available in the final few weeks of the campaign, that now looks unlikely.

“Elliot’s not on the radar, to be honest,” he said. “He’s walking around the building, I saw him the other day, and he said it felt good.

“But I wouldn’t anticipate that we’re going to see him, unless in the next three weeks he’s out on the grass training and he comes and knocks on my door and says, ‘Listen, I’d like to play before the end of the season’. Don’t get excited about Elliot Embleton at this moment in time though.”

In more positive injury news, Lynden Gooch has been passed fit to return to the squad that will travel to Burnley on Friday and Dennis Cirkin is also set to be part of the group that heads across the Pennines.

Niall Huggins is not expected to feature against Burnley, but the youngster has been pencilled in for an Under-21s appearance as he completes his own recovery programme.

“Gooch is available,” said Mowbray. “Niall is almost available and will probably get another Under-21 game under his belt.

“Dennis played for 60 or 70 minutes of a bounce game against Hartlepool the other day. He was pretty comfortable and felt good. His name will be on the squad list going to Burnley as long as he trains (on Thursday) and has no problems. He’ll be coming with us.”