A “powerful” Sunderland player will not only miss the weekend clash with Swansea City but could also be out for the next 13 matches, as confirmed by manager Regis Le Bris.
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The Black Cats’ form has stalled a little in recent weeks, with only one win in their last six Championship matches, following such a blistering start to the season.
Le Bris’ fourth-place Sunderland side are back in league action on Saturday afternoon, making the trip to a Swansea team who are currently sitting ninth in the table. It promises to be another test of their promotion credentials, with further dropped points casting doubt over their hopes of reaching the Premier League automatically this season.
Kristjaan Speakman has spoken positively about the potential for January reinforcements, however, which could be needed to give the Black Cats the added quality that they crave: “We’ve just got to be really diligent in the moment, able to react and action things really quickly within the month of January. I’m really optimistic about what we can achieve.”
Injuries can have the potential to derail any team’s season, though, with Sunderland not without fitness issues this term, and now a fresh blow has emerged.
Injury blow for "powerful" Sunderland ace
Speaking on Thursday, Le Bris confirmed that Sunderland winger Tom Watson is expected to be out injured for around two months, meaning he could miss as many as 13 games leading up to the middle of February.
This is a huge blow for Watson and Sunderland, with the 18-year-old impressing so much for such a young player, scoring twice in six Championship starts so far this season.
Swansea City (A)
December 14th
Norwich City (H)
December 21st
Blackburn Rovers (A)
Boxing Day
Stoke City (A)
December 29th
Sheffield United (H)
New Year’s Day
Portsmouth (H)
January 5th
Stoke City (H) – FA Cup
January 11th
Burnley (A)
January 17th
Derby County (A
January 21st
Plymouth Argyle (H)
January 25th
Middlesbrough (A)
February 3rd
Watford (H)
February 8th
Luton Town (H)
February 12th
With Jack Clarke departing to Ipswich Town during the summer transfer window, he has really stepped up, with Le Bris heading praise on him, saying: “When you have a winger with the ability to run inside and outside and cross, it’s a gift for a coach and a team. He works well.
“The system is well designed for him. We can use him very quickly and play to his main strengths. He’s powerful, he can dribble, he can move inside and outside and he scored. He’s very strong, a very good winger in this league.”
While Watson isn’t necessarily one of the first names on Le Bris’ team sheet, he is still going to be a massive loss in the coming months, having done so well for a player so young.
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It means Sunderland immediately lose an attacking threat out wide, with the teenager shining in a left-sided role, and it could be an an extra excuse for the club to look for a new face in the January window.
