Sunderland head back into the swing of things in the Championship winless in their last three games, which is a strange predicament to be in considering the Black Cats are also top of the current second-tier pile.
Three draws on the spin will have frustrated the Wearside outfit nonetheless, especially when you cast an eye at their last match versus Coventry City, with Sunderland coasting into a 2-0 lead before a late Sky Blues comeback saw the entertaining affair end 2-2.
Regis Le Bris will just pray that his team gets back to winning ways away at Millwall on Saturday, as the intense pressure of being near the top of the table begins to heat up.
That pressure might be getting to the Black Cats already, who have some unfortunate selection issues heading into the clash at the Den that won’t ease those nerves whatsoever.
Sunderland team news ahead of Milwall
As the Sunderland Echo has highlighted recently, there could be up to five players missing for this trip to face off against Neil Harris’ Lions, with three casualties confirmed already owing to suspensions.
Jobe Bellingham, Patrick Roberts and Trai Hume will all be unavailable, whilst Alan Browne is also now confirmed to be missing out after picking up an injury versus Coventry.
But, the most devastating absentee of the lot is Romaine Mundle, who also suffered a similar fate to Browne last match, with confirmation now that the electric left winger is set for up to eight weeks out in the treatment room.
This will be disorientating for Le Bris and Co, with Mundle taking over duties down the left wing in terrific fashion this season after Jack Clarke’s departure by finding the back of the net four times from 16 Championship appearances before this unwanted development.
Therefore, the Frenchman could be forced into starting one youngster in his place this weekend for just their second start of the campaign.
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The “exciting” talent who could replace Mundle
With Roberts also out, Sunderland starlet Tom Watson might well be thrown in at the deep end at the Den on the left, having previously started away at Preston North End when numbers were also low.
He didn’t really get going in that contest at Deepdale, but he did show occasional flashes of the brilliance that has seen him light up the Premier League 2 for the U21s, with one effort on goal registered alongside managing one successful slaloming dribble.
Watson’s numbers this season for U21s | ||
|---|---|---|
Opponent | Goals scored | Assists |
Newcastle | 0 | 0 |
Middlesbrough | 1 | 1 |
Liverpool | 1 | 0 |
Everton | 1 | 1 |
Derby | 2 | 2 |
Sourced by Transfermarkt | ||
Looking at the table above, it’s clear to see why the “exciting” forward – as he has been described in the past by Sunderland Academy manager Robin Nicholls – has been fast-tracked up to the senior mix, with five goals and four assists tallied up from just five games in the Premier League 2.
His stunning display against Derby actually came from down the left flank, with Watson adaptable enough to play in central midfield or down the right channel if needed, but Le Bris could well call upon the raw youngster in this spot for the game at Millwall.
After all, the former Lorient boss has managed to get the best out of the likes of Chris Rigg since his arrival from France, with the 17-year-old on three goals in Championship action under the tutelage of Le Bris.
Watson will hope he can explode into life in a similar manner soon, with the perfect opportunity potentially opening up for him in London.
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