Mike Dodds has explained the ‘sensible’ decision he has made to ensure one Sunderland star is ready for the trip to Cardiff City.
Sunderland were desperate for a break following their 0-0 stalemate against QPR, with the draw proving to be the only point they had picked up in over a month.
The international break certainly came at the right time for them, and they have now been able to use the Championship’s two-week absence as a way to bring back some players from the sidelines.
Corry Evans will make his comeback after over a year on the treatment table, while Aji Alese and Bradley Dack are also in contention to be named in tomorrow’s match-day squad.
Their squad is still looking thin though, with Jenson Seelt recently starting a potential nine-month stint on the sidelines, while the likes of Jack Clarke and Nazariy Rusyn are still unavailable.
Sunderland’s lack of options has meant players like Jobe Bellingham have been forced to play week in week out, without any consideration going into their form or their need for a rest.
The midfielder has started 35 of the Black Cats’ 38 matches this season, while Mike Dodds has regularly been urged to rest him after a turbulent start to life on Wearside.
Jobe Bellingham gets a well-needed rest
The Sunderland coach has now explained the ‘sensible’ decision he has made with Jobe, which has left him ‘refreshed’ and prepared ahead of the Cardiff outing.
Speaking to Sunderland Echo, Dodds said: “We just felt as a football club… he’s played 30-odd games.
“We’re very respectful to the international teams but our injury list at the moment isn’t the best and for someone at 18 who has played the amount of games he has at the level he has, we felt it was more sensible for him to have a breather.
“He only came in for a couple of days over the two weeks, we gave him an extended period off to rest and recover which I think is sensible from both ours and England’s perspective. He’s been back in this week, he looks refreshed and I think both parties have done the right thing by him.”
Jobe Bellingham went from making only five starts in a breakthrough season for Birmingham City last season, to being one of the first names on the team-sheet for Sunderland.
At only 18 years old, that is a lot of pressure for him, especially given the rapid decline the club has endured this term.
How important can Jobe be for the rest of the season?
Jobe is often used a scapegoat for Sunderland’s poor performances, and while he has made some mistakes since joining the club, he is really just a teenager making his way into senior football with expectations placed upon him that are simply just too high.
A break from football for two weeks should give Jobe a huge boost though and hopefully this means he can find some form for the final eight games.
An in-form Jobe can have more of a positive impact on the Sunderland squad than most of his teammates, and we saw that in the months that followed his permanent switch to the Stadium of Light.
We could well see the youngster pushed further up front this week, and while he has struggled for form, there is no denying that he is one of our best players in front of goal.
If Jobe is at his best then he could well guide us to a big three points, but if not then we could be facing a similar result to previous games.