Sunderland should have all their attention on putting things right after dropping points against Plymouth at the weekend, but there are certain distractions for Regis Le Bris right now.
Only managing a 2-2 draw against bottom of the league Plymouth on Saturday was more than a little disappointing for Sunderland, with Regis Le Bris admitting his team were lucky to escape with a point after a poor showing.
Next up for the Black Cats is a stern test against local rivals Middlesbrough, who will pose a real threat to Sunderland with new signings Morgan Whittaker and Ryan Giles, among others.
But, the upcoming fixture comes with another unique challenge, thanks to its unfortunate timing with transfer deadline day.
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Transfer deadline day clashes with Sunderland vs Middlesbrough
Speaking to the press (via the Sunderland Echo), the Sunderland manager discussed the clash of interests, with his team travelling to the Riverside on Monday night, and the game ending just an hour before the transfer window closes.
When asked if he wished his team would be able to prepare for the game without other things going on, Le Bris said: “I would like this, but it is not often the case. Because the market is unpredictable.
“We will try our best to protect the team because we have two timelines, how we want to prepare this game to be fully engaged and at the same time, we know so that some adjustment [to the squad] could be useful for the future. We will try our best to try and manage these two timelines properly.”
So, does that mean Le Bris will make changes to the Sunderland starting XI versus Middlesbrough? It certainly sounds that way, but who and why, remains to be seen.
What can we expect from Sunderland on deadline day?
So far, Enzo Le Fee has been the only confirmed Sunderland signing this month, but surely more will follow before the February 3rd deadline.
It is thought Sunderland’s priority is to find a new striker, but the Black Cats have missed out on a number of targets already, including Tom Cannon and Louie Barry.
Now, the strongest links lie with Besiktas attacker Semih Kilicsoy and KVC Westerlo forward Matija Frigan, though neither deal will be easy to complete.
With less than a week to go, it’s looking more and more likely that Sunderland’s transfer dealings will go right down to the wire, unless they can spring a surprise in the next day or two. Let’s hope Kristjaan Speakman is ready to work overtime!