Jobe Bellingham is set to be given extra time off from training with Sunderland next week.
Speaking to Chronicle Live, Tony Mowbray admitted the midfielder was ‘tired’ and was supposed to be rested for one of the recent matches.
Jobe Bellingham joined Sunderland from Birmingham City in the summer and has already become one of the club’s best players, having started every single one of their games in the Championship this season.
However, the 18-year-old was initially expected to be heavily rotated in and out of the squad, but now instead runs the risk of suffering from burnout due to the amount of football he is playing in short periods of time.
Mowbray is well aware that Jobe needs a rest, with the youngster originally set to sit out of one of Sunderland’s three matches in the last week or so. However, the teenager continued to be relied on due to Adil Aouchiche’s injury.
“Some of the lads who needed it got another day off this week,” Mowbray said.
“We know some of these lads are going to go away again on international duty and then you’ve got a really intense festive period. Jobe for being such a young boy, it’s a concern for us.
“The intention was actually to leave him out for one of the games and Adil Aouchiche was going to play, but Adil then got an injury and Jobe was the best option for that game. He understands, he is tired.
“The last international break was real touch and go as to whether he went. England wanted him to go and he ended up playing two-and-a-half games.
“We were trying to rest him after that but because of injuries he had just to keep rolling on. At some stage he needs to be given extra time off and he’ll get that next week, as well.
“He’s an integral part of this team but we do have to try and factor in some time where he can have a day off his feet.”
Don’t take the risk with Jobe!
It has become very clear that Jobe Bellingham is on the verge of a burnout due to his declining performances, especially in the last couple of games.
The midfielder definitely needs to be left out of the starting line-up over the next couple of games so he can recharge, because the team definitely feel it when we don’t have him at his best.
As for Adil Aouchiche, it is a huge shame that he wasn’t able to take his chance in the first team. I honestly think the Frenchman would have made a huge impact against Norwich in particular, and it would have been hard to take him back out.