TONY MOWBRAY is looking forward to the moment when he is able to name Edouard Michut in his starting line-up – and the Sunderland boss feels that day is no longer too far away.
Michut joined the Black Cats on a season-long loan from Paris St Germain in the final week of the summer transfer window, and while the 19-year-old understandably lacks first-team experience, his pedigree is impressive given that he is a regular for France Under-19s and has made six senior appearances in Ligue 1.
A niggling injury hampered the early weeks of his Sunderland career, but he has been in full training for more than a month now and he made his fourth substitute appearance in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Luton Town.
READ: Ellis Simms is unlikely to start until after World Cup break
He will remain in the squad for tomorrow night’s trip to Huddersfield Town, and while he is unlikely to start at the John Smith’s Stadium, his first appearance in Sunderland’s starting line-up could be just around the corner.
“Michut came on (at Luton) and did really well,” said Mowbray, whose side head into this week’s round of fixtures sitting in 16th position, four points clear of the relegation zone and seven adrift of the play-off positions.
“I’ve been saying for a few weeks now that I’d love to get Michut in the team because he’s such a wonderful passer of the ball and he can knit our team together and keep feeding the really talented attacking players. But if he hasn’t played enough football, we have to be mindful of that.
“He picked up a few injuries when he first arrived and missed the first few weeks, and he’s still just getting up to speed really. But I thought he was good when he came on the other day.
“We just have to keep going. The options are there for us, but we have to get the balance right. The good thing for me now is that these young lads are just about ready to be starting.
“We’ve given them enough time off the bench – 20 minutes here, 30 minutes there – and I think the next stage for them is to maybe start a game, and if they’re struggling at half-time, we can bring them off. If they can get an hour, that will work them up towards 90-minute football matches.”
While Amad Diallo has been handed the occasional start, Mowbray has been reluctant to thrust Michut, Abdoullah Ba or Jewison Bennette into the starting line-up.
That could change ahead of the World Cup break, with the Sunderland boss mindful of the need to protect what remains a relatively small squad despite the return of Ellis Simms, who was a second-half substitute at Luton.
Jack Clarke is suspended for tomorrow’s trip to West Yorkshire after picking up his fifth booking of the season when he was penalised for kicking the ball away in the closing stages of Saturday’s draw at Kenilworth Road, while Dennis Cirkin, Luke O’Nien and Alex Pritchard are just one booking away from a suspension as they are currently on four yellow cards.
Ross Stewart and Dan Ballard have returned to light outdoor training in the last few days, but will not be involved on a matchday until after the World Cup break.
“We have to try to manage the group,” said Mowbray. “It feels as if, at this moment, we’ve probably got two spare players every game if you’re counting the young foreign lads that came in. They’re very much part of the first team, although I’m trying to filter them into the team bit by bit.
“It seems like it’s only one or two excess every time, so if we pick up another injury or suspension, then we’ve only got one spare player. You have to be mindful of trying to rotate, but not weakening the team too much.”
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