Next month the Africa Cup of Nations will deprive Sunderland of several members of the squad. But their absence will provide opportunities for players who have so far been on the fringes of the first team.
Reinildo Mandava, Noah Sadiki, Bertrand Traoré, Chemsdine Talbi, Simon Adingra, and Arthur Masuaku are all either certain or likely to join up with their national sides. Whether Habib Diarra will be fit enough to join them remains to be seen.
When they depart, it will be telling who Régis Le Bris trusts to fill the gaps in his starting XI and wider match-day squad.
Dennis Cirkin is steadily working his way back to fitness with the Under-21s and will provide an option on the left side of defence if Le Bris chooses to use him. But, with Omar Alderete back in the frame and Lutsharel Geertruida making an excellent case for a start, the former Tottenham man may have to settle for a place on the bench. Le Bris clearly trusts Trai Hume to operate on either flank, and it would be no surprise to see him taking Reinildo’s spot, with Mukiele or Geertruida lining up on the right.
Noah Sadiki is undoubtedly the most difficult player to replace – his work ethic and boundless energy, coupled with a positional awareness that belies his age, have made him a key component in Le Bris’ system. Chris Rigg and Dan Neil are the obvious candidates to replace him. However, Geertruida is also capable of stepping into midfield and offers another option. As will be discussed below, Le Bris could also utilise Enzo Le Fée in the centre of the park.
So far, Rigg has been Le Bris’ preferred choice when a midfield berth has become vacant, and the teenage sensation is the most likely to be asked to replace the dynamic Congolese. However, the Lads will be lining up against the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham in the AFCON period. It would be no surprise to see Le Bris opting for a more cautious approach, deploying Geertruida in midfield in those games.
Suppose that is how it pans out, and Dan Neil is left warming the bench. In that case, our promotion-winning skipper may depart the club in January, particularly if the persistent links to Matteo Guendouzi come to fruition.
It is on the wings that the biggest opportunities may open up. The return to fitness of Romaine Mundle could not be more opportune – his displays in the Championship showed that he undoubtedly has the potential to make the step up to Premier League football. In addition, his willingness to work hard defensively is an attribute that Le Bris values highly.
Wilson Isidor can also operate effectively on the left but offers less cover to his full-back. If Le Bris opts to use Mundle or Isidor on the left wing, it opens up the possibility of moving Enzo Le Fée into his favoured midfield role to fill Sadiki’s spot. Moving Isidor to the flank would allow Brian Brobbey to lead the line. The muscular Dutchman has already made an impact from the bench and, if he is getting close to full match fitness, Le Bris could unleash him to bully and terrorise defenders from the start.
On the right, it may be the moment that Eliezer Mayenda has been patiently waiting for. After performing creditably for his country’s Under-21s, the young Spaniard must be chomping at the bit to show what he can do in the Premier League.
No side will relish facing up to a front three drawn from Mundle, Isidor, Brobbey, and Mayenda – pace, power, and a potent goal threat!
The signing of so many players qualified to play for teams taking part in AFCON has been a concern since the start of the season. Yet, when the options that exist for Régis Le Bris are assessed, Sunderland will still have a starting XI capable of competing with any side in the Premier League.
However, there will be vacancies on the bench to fill. On the assumption that Le Bris sticks with five at the back, brings back Alderete, and utilises Hume on the left, Geertruida would be likely to join Patterson, O’Nien, and Cirkin as cover for the defensive unit. Neil and/or Rigg would be the replacement midfield options, with Harrison Jones also likely to be given the nod – Le Bris clearly rates him highly. Up front, whichever one of Mundle, Isidor, Brobbey, or Mayenda doesn’t start will fill the “finisher” role.
If everyone not at AFCON is fit and available, that potentially leaves one spot on the bench, with only limited cover up front. There is one young player in the Under-21s who would be my choice to be promoted to the senior side – Timur Tutierov.
The young Ukrainian is highly rated by Graeme Murty, and a place in the first-team squad would be just reward for a player who has regularly impressed in the Academy side.
The difficulty with all this is that so many of Sunderland’s points have been won in the final third of matches, with the introduction of “finishers” capable of swinging the momentum of a game – players with the ability to perpetuate the “’Til the end” mentality that has served the team so well thus far.
Without our AFCON contingent, there will be a dearth of genuinely top-level, game-changing talent when Régis Le Bris turns to the bench to consider his in-game options. For a coach who encourages his players to find solutions during matches, this is a challenge he alone will have to overcome.
