Sunderland have been dealt bad Brian Brobbey news, following the centre-forward withdrawing from international duty.
Brobbey has started brightly in the Premier League this season, scoring a hat-trick for Sunderland against Manchester City in his last outing and establishing himself as first-choice striker in new Netherlands boss Xavi Hernandez's first squad.
But it appears that the 24-year-old has had a major setback following the Nations League fixture against Germany.
Brobbey has picked up a ‘serious injury’
Former Ajax star Brobbey lasted a little over half an hour in Xavi's first match as a manager, pulling up with what looked like a hamstring strain.
Now, Sport Witness has relayed an interview from Sportnieuws.nl with ex-PSV doctor Cees-Rein van den Hoogenband, who discussed the game's current schedule and described Brobbey's injury as “very serious”.
“That has a huge medical impact. Everyone can see that from the large number of injuries, both nationally and internationally. However, I have no illusion that anyone will ever listen. The commercial interests are so incredibly high,” he said.
“Of course, it remains a contact sport. If something happens during a tackle, like with Cody [Gakpo], that’s all part of the game. But if you look at Brobbey, he has a very serious hamstring injury. That’s a typical example of overuse.”
Brobbey played 32 times for Sunderland last season, has featured nine times for his country in 2026, and has already been involved in six games for the Black Cats this term.
Given that the striker plays such a high-intensity role, it is perhaps no surprise that he has suffered a muscle injury.
Last season, Brobbey suffered just one major knock: a groin injury that kept him out of three games during February and March.
Prior to signing on Teeside, Brobbey picked up an ankle injury with Ajax, which delayed his start to the season.
Brobbey is worth €40 million, according to Transfermarkt. Sunderland host Brighton & Hove Albion when Premier League action resumes.
