Sunderland fans have waited three months to see Romaine Mundle back in action, and they were made to wait a little while longer on Monday night.
The winger was on the Sunderland bench for the trip to Elland Road to face Leeds United, but was left as an unused substitute throughout the game.
Fans were frustrated with Regis Le Bris for how late he made some of his changes during the game, and for the personnel he called upon.
Romaine Mundle is definitely the kind of player who can change a game for Sunderland, so why wasn’t he used in the week, and will he be put into the team on Saturday?
Romaine Mundle was held back for Leeds game, would have been too much for him
Speaking to the press (via the Sunderland YouTube channel), Regis Le Bris offered an explanation as to why Mundle wasn’t called upon on Monday.
When asked why Mundle didn’t make it off the bench, Le Bris said: “He should be okay [for Saturday]. For Leeds it was just too short notice.
“It’s not just playing minutes, it was a tough game and strong environment in and out of possession. He wasn’t ready for that, but with one more week now he should be okay.”
Later, Le Bris was quizzed again as to Mundle’s readiness for the upcoming fixture, and he insisted that the 21-year-old is definitely good to go.
He added: “No, he is ready. We didn’t want to rush the process for Leeds is all, with the intensity. But now he is fine.”
Whether Le Bris puts him into the starting lineup or not remains to be seen, but we think it would be a very shrewd move to throw him into the action now.
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It’s time to bring Mundle in and move Enzo Le Fee into the middle
In an ideal world where Mundle is fully-fit, he walks into Sunderland’s best XI now. Before his injury, Mundle was in brilliant form and was easily the Black Cats’ most impressive, dangerous threat.
Sunderland have missed him dearly since, and while Tommy Watson filled that void briefly, his own injury has been a further setback and has seen Regis Le Bris having to use Enzo Le Fee out of position on the left wing.
| Statistics | Romaine Mundle (2024/25) |
| Appearances | 16 |
| Minutes | 1,115 |
| Goals | 4 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Crosses per 90 | 4.44 |
| Shot-creating actions per 90 | 3.51 |
Right now, Sunderland have got Chris Rigg needing a rest and Jobe Bellingham close to a suspension. Surely, this weekend’s clash with Hull City is the perfect opportunity to switch things up and get everyone playing in their best positions.
With Mundle on the left, Le Fee can move into the playmaker role in the middle and give Rigg the break he desperately needs, while also taking some pressure off Jobe in midfield, too. It’s a win-win for Le Bris, and we really hope we get to see Mundle back in the red and white this weekend.