Régis Le Bris set to gain a potential £17.5 million advantage as Nilson Angulo approaches comeback for Villa and Forest.

Nilson Angulo is close to rejoining Sunderland, with a possible spot in Sunday's Premier League squad to face Aston Villa, although his minutes at Villa Park are not expected to be substantial. A home match against Nottingham Forest on April 24 is viewed as a more realistic return.

Reports from Ecuador indicate the 22-year-old is in the final stages of his recovery and is ready to return to training. He was seen back on the pitch at the Academy of Light last week.

The winger has been sidelined since suffering a muscle injury in the lead-up to the 1-0 loss against Brighton & Hove Albion on March 14. Régis Le Bris initially provided a recovery timeframe of four to six weeks.

Angulo has missed crucial matches, including the Tyne-Wear derby victory over Newcastle United. The head coach is expected to provide an update during his upcoming press conference prior to the Aston Villa fixture.

This injury also impacted his international career. He was included in Ecuador’s provisional squad for friendlies against Morocco and the Netherlands but had to withdraw to continue treatment on Wearside.

During the international break, head coach Sebastián Beccacece confirmed that Angulo would depart the camp early to focus on his recovery, alongside midfielder Patrik Mercado. Beccacece highlighted both absences as significant.

Angulo joined from Anderlecht in January for a fee of approximately £17.5million, following a tally of seven goals and eight assists in 30 appearances in Belgium. He has made five Premier League appearances, three of which were starts, without contributing a goal or assist, accumulating 264 minutes with expected goals of 0.50 and expected assists of 0.08.

Sunderland currently sits in 10th place, just two points behind sixth-placed Chelsea, with six matches remaining against Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, Wolves, Manchester United, Everton, and Chelsea. His return would provide additional width for the season's conclusion, although his early involvement will likely be monitored to ensure he regains full fitness.

Source: Sunderland Echo