Sunderland midfielder Enzo Le Fee’s return to the side could result in the exclusion of one Black Cats man.
Sunderland will face off against West Brom this weekend, where the Black Cats face off against a fellow play-off placed side managed by Tony Mowbray, the man responsible for delivering a 6th place finish for the Wearsiders in the 2022/23 campaign.
Regis Le Bris’ side will be hoping to notch a second successive win after Sunderland beat Millwall last weekend, which saw Trai Hume shine at left-back, whilst Alan Browne also performed on the right side, both of which being utilised out of position amid injury issues.
Luckily for the Black Cats, players are returning in their numbers, as Enzo Le Fee is expected to play for Sunderland, whilst Leo Hjelde has also recovered from fitness concerns.
Le Fee’s return has been highly anticipated, in particular by Sunderland fans, but his inclusion could lead to one man being dropped, who BBC pundit Marco Gabbiadini believes has ‘lost a little bit of his dynamism’.
Nick Barnes and Marco Gabbiadini debate over potential Enzo Le Fee inclusion and who makes way for Sunderland
With Le Fee returning to full fitness, there is every expectation that he will play a role on Saturday, whether that be from off the bench or as part of Le Bris’ starting side.
As a result, BBC pundits Nick Barnes and Marco Gabbiadini debated who would make way for the Frenchman, and the pair came to an agreement over who would drop out.
Per BBC Sounds, Barnes said: “I think Rigg is probably the most likely [to make way for Le Fee]. I think Le Fee will play at some point on Saturday.”
Gabbiadini agreed with Barnes’ conclusion, whilst also adding: “From the formation we played in the last game, you’d say Rigg. We all want to see Le Fee down the middle, we want to see him get on the ball more, we want to see him have the option to go left, right, or straight down the middle. To get him in the danger area would be good.
“Rigg has lost a little bit of his dynamism. It’s hard to criticise a player who has had such an incredible season, but his age is bound to catch up with him sometime, and I do think he looks a little bit off the pace.”
Le Bris has been honest about Rigg recently after he said: “He could maybe make different decisions that result in the same outcome, but with less energy.”
Enzo Le Fee could lift the pressure off Chris Rigg’s shoulders
This season, Rigg has continued to develop into a fantastic asset at Sunderland, and there is no doubt that he has an incredible future ahead of him that will undoubtedly see him get a chance at the top level.
However, many forget that he is just 17 years old and that playing such a prominent role at a high level can even hinder a player’s development.
It would be brilliant to see Le Fee used interchangeably with Rigg, and in that way, the expectations and the pressure on the youngster’s shoulders will be somewhat lifted, and that could give him the license to be somewhat more confident and creative.
Having such a top player in Le Fee must not be underestimated, and he could certainly be a fantastic role model for Rigg.