THE international break provides everyone associated with Sunderland with an opportunity to take stock after the opening month of the season.

The Black Cats return to action this weekend – how has their start to the campaign gone and what are the burning issues they will be looking to address in their forthcoming games?


WHAT a difference a win makes. Especially when it’s a five-goal thrashing of one of the promotion favourites.

For all that there were a few fraught moments in the closing stages of the transfer window, the demolition of Southampton that preceded the international break provided a timely reminder of the quality that exists within the Sunderland squad.

Holding on to Jack Clarke, Patrick Roberts and Pierre Ekwah should ensure the Black Cats continue to boast a strong creative presence in midfield, with the summer signing of Jobe Bellingham and Bradley Dack having provided further attacking-midfield options.

Tony Mowbray will no doubt continue to mix-and-match depending on the opposition, although it will be interesting to see who the Black Cats boss settles on as his lead ‘number nine’.

Sunderland’s recruitment team spent most of the summer chasing Nazariy Rusyn, but the Ukrainian could take time to settle into his new surrounds. Mason Burstow should be used to the challenges of English football, but the 20-year-old Chelsea loanee lacks experience at first-team level.

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Luis Hemir has shown promise so far, while another summer signing, Eliezer Mayenda, should also be available again soon as he approaches the completion of his recovery from injury. At this stage, it is impossible to say how Mowbray will shuffle his pack.

Things are easier to predict at the opposite end of the field, with the departure of Danny Batth having reduced Sunderland’s central-defensive options.

Luke O’Nien has alternated between defence and midfield throughout his Black Cats career, but with Danny Batth having moved to Norwich, he will almost certainly be needed at centre-half for the remainder of the current campaign.

Sunderland head to QPR for their first game back after the break, with Saturday’s trip to Loftus Road kicking off a run of three away games in the next four matches that also features visits to Blackburn and Sheffield Wednesday.

The home game with Middlesbrough that precedes the next international break should be a lively occasion, with the spoils having been shared in last season’s two North-East derbies.

If Sunderland are higher than their current position of ninth by the time Boro arrive at the Stadium of Light on October 7, it will have been a decent month for Mowbray and his players.