Sunderland may not have signed too many players during the January transfer window, but Regis Le Bris’ squad is getting stronger week by week.
Regis Le Bris was already doing a great job in the first half of the season, before the singing of Enzo Le Fee took his Sunderland side to another level.
The Frenchman was the main new arrival during the winter window, but that’s fine, because the Sunderland squad is growing in size slowly but surely, as important players return from injury.
With Sunderland chasing promotion and trying to catch the leading trio in front of them, Le Bris will need all the help he can get, and one returning player is on his last steps of recover now as he bids to make a difference in the backend of the campaign.
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Alan Browne will be back on the pitch tonight
Just last week, Le Bris offered an injury update on his squad, revealing that Alan Browne, Romaine Mundle, and Tommy Watson were all due back within the next seven days.
Now, as per the club’s official website, we have learned that Browne will be the first to pull on the red and white once more, as he looks to pick up “vital minutes” for the Under-21 side on Tuesday night.
The Sunderland development squad host Huddersfield Town tonight in the Premier League Cup, and Graeme Murty will be looking to throw Browne into the fray for his first appearance since November, when he suffered a broken leg.
Browne will now “continue to build his match fitness” ahead of a first-team return in the near future, and all eyes will be on the 29-year-old to see how he fares tonight.
In recent weeks, we’ve already seen the likes of Jenson Seelt and Ahmed Abdullahi take a similar path, with the pair now chasing a recall to Le Bris’ senior squad.
Alan Browne can immediately overtake Salis Abdul Samed at Sunderland
While Browne will have the daunting task of displacing the likes of Dan Neil, Chris Rigg, Jobe Bellingham, and Le Fee in the middle of the park, there is one bit of hope for the Irishman.
Sunderland fans have not been impressed by Salis Abdul Samed’s early performances since his own return from injury.
The midfielder, on loan from Lens, has shown little sign of being a good fit for Sunderland so far, and must surely be the man to target for Browne when trying to climb the pecking order.
Samed has been given opportunities for game time, which is promising, and Le Bris has defended the player, insisting he just needs time and patience. The same will be afforded to Browne, we’re sure, but the difference is, he has the quality and experience to make a significant impact straight away.
It will be yet another interesting option for Le Bris, and Sunderland will certainly be leaning on every player in the squad to get them over the line in this thrilling promotion race. Browne may not be the most exciting player in the Sunderland squad, but he is very, very effective at what he does, and that could be exactly what Le Bris needs.