Adil Aouchiche has earned himself the right to make his first start for Sunderland.
Four weeks after arriving on Wearside, this week’s Championship match seems like the perfect time to bring him in from kick-off.
Aouchiche joined Sunderland from Lorient this summer and, after a delayed arrival, made his debut in a cameo appearance against QPR.
The midfielder has since come off the bench in a further two games and went onto make feature for the U-21 side in their 3-1 win over Derby County on Monday.
Aouchiche scored the youth team’s opener and put on an excellent display at Eppleton Colliery, definitely forcing his name into Tony Mowbray‘s thoughts.
Sunderland are now looking to bounce back from their surprise defeat to Cardiff City and a home clash against Sheffield Wednesday is the perfect time to do that.
The Owls currently sit bottom of the league table and the Black Cats will be keen to enjoy a thrashing on home soil if they are at their best.
With Aouchiche impressing in his cameo appearances, handing him his first start against Xisco Munoz’s side could be the best way to build up his confidence and allow him to adapt to Championship football.
Aouchiche could have the chance to bag a few goal contributions and could also allow Alex Pritchard a break, with the 30-year-old starting their last two matches.
It would be great to see Sunderland go full throttle against Sheffield Wednesday and get a number of goals under their belt, with the likes of Aouchiche and Mason Burstow getting off the mark to really kickstart their career on Wearside.
The Frenchman has shown real quality in the minor appearances he has made and could make a huge impact from the start, with Pritchard potentially struggling to get back in the side if he can live up to expectations.
Whoever starts against Sheffield Wednesday, it could be a brilliant show for the supporters.