ALEX NEIL admits he would like to give Callum Doyle a break from Sunderland’s starting line-up – but feels unable to do so because the teenager is the club’s only left-footed centre-half.

From the moment he was appointed as head coach earlier this month, Neil has conceded that a number of Sunderland’s youngsters have already played too much football this season.

The likes of Dennis Cirkin, Dan Neil and Elliot Embleton have been mainstays of the Black Cats’ starting side, with Doyle another player to have been selected repeatedly by both Neil and his predecessor, Lee Johnson.

Despite having had practically no first-team involvement prior to his loan move from Manchester City, Doyle has started all bar two of Sunderland’s league games this season.

His form has dipped significantly in the last couple of months, with Neil conceding he is likely to be mentally and physically fatigued. But with the Black Cats short of central-defensive options, a situation that was exacerbated by the decision to sell Tom Flanagan on deadline-day last month, Neil admits he is finding it hard to give Doyle the break he needs.

“He (Doyle) is the example,” admitted Neil. “He’s probably number one on the list. But the simple fact is he is the only left-footed centre-back that we’ve got.

“The kid has played far too much footballer, and there has been far too much reliance on him. He will be a very good player, but it is extremely difficult for him at the moment because when you are not fully-fit and you’re not refreshed, then it is difficult to show your best.”

Ideally, Neil would like to take a number of his players out of the firing line in the next couple of weeks, but a lack of viable alternatives means he will have to keep his reshuffling to a minimum.

Jermain Defoe’s lack of match sharpness was once again apparent as he failed to make much of an impression in Tuesday’s draw with Burton, while Patrick Roberts was an unused substitute in the same game despite Sunderland spending most of the second half chasing for an equaliser. Both loanees had barely kicked a ball this season prior to signing for the Black Cats at the end of last month.

Trai Hume arrived in January to provide an alternative at right-back, but the decision to sell Denver Hume to Portsmouth means Neil does not have a natural alternative to Cirkin on the left of the back four.

“We’ve got a younger lads that have played a hell of a lot of football this year,” said Neil. “A lot of them haven’t even reached 50 games in their career, and there is a lot of demands on them to try toi get us up the league.

“I managed to rest Dan Neil (against Burton) because he certainly falls into that category, but I’m heavily loaded in that area, so I can afford to do it.

“There are some areas on the pitch where there are no other players, so I’m probably going to end up, if I do decide to change it, having to put square pegs in round holes. That, in itself, is a problem.”

Jack Clarke started on the bench against Burton, with Neil admitting his decision to go with two centre-forwards meant there was not really a place for the Tottenham loanee.

That could change when Sunderland head to second-placed Wigan Athletic on Saturday, with Clarke having impressed Neil since joining on loan last month.

“If we’d played a different shape (against Burton), Jack would have had a great stake for a claim to play,” said the Sunderland boss. “But we played with two centre-forwards and I’ve only got two centre-forwards in the building at the moment.

“Jermain naturally played up front with Ross, and then the wingers suffered off the back of that. Whereas (Lynden) Gooch is most suited to playing as a wing-back - that’s why we opted to go that route."