Sunderland have a knack for poaching young gems from Europe and developing them into first-team stars. The next could be Ahmed Abdullahi, who’s been waiting patiently for a return to fitness following his arrival last summer.
Ahmed Abdullahi certainly hasn’t endured the start to life at Sunderland that he would’ve been hoping for. Though maybe it was expected with the 20-year-old striker arriving from Gent with a muscle injury.
He needed surgery soon after arriving and Abdullahi has been sidelined since. But the youngster is closing in on a senior debut with the Black Cats after making his debut for the U21s on Friday.
Abdullahi played 45 minutes in the 1-0 defeat against West Ham. His return to fitness also comes at a good time for Regis Le Bris who currently has just Wilson Isidor up front, after Aaron Connolly’s move to Millwall.
It’s been claimed recently that Sunderland paid just £1.26million for Abdullahi, as opposed to several summer reports that claimed the Black Cats paid £2.5million.
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Regis Le Bris reveals next steps for Ahmed Abdullahi at Sunderland
Speaking ahead of Sunderland’s Championship clash against Derby County on Tuesday, Le Bris was asked about the latest on the injury front, and about Abdullahi after his U21s debut before the weekend.
The Sunderland boss revealed that Abdullahi is going to need a bit more time with the U21s before he’s ready to be considered for first-team action in the Championship, which is understandable given the length of the striker’s injury
Le Bris told Sunderland Echo: “Ahmed will need some more time because he was injured for a long time and he’s a young player. To be ready for the first team, I think he is going to need two or three games [more] with the U21s.”
Who Ahmed Abdullahi could potentially make his Sunderland debut against
Sunderland’s U21s play Benfica on Wednesday night, Leicester City on Saturday, and then Wolves on February 3rd.
If Abdullahi is ready for the first-team after those three more games for the U21s then that could mean he could be involved in the Championship game against Watford at the Stadium of Light on February 8th.
Failing that, there’s a midweek game away at Luton Town following that. Though Le Bris already knows how physical Luton can be and Abdullahi might not be risked in such a game.
Expect Le Bris to keep a very close eye on the U21s and Abdullahi in the next weeks, with the Black Cats potentially about to unearth a new first-team star.