One Sunderland star will need clarity on his game-time this season after his return from injury.
In recent times, Sunderland have been hit by several absences to Regis Le Bris side.
One notable one that has arguably led to Sunderland’s recent difficult run in the 2024/25 Championship season, which saw the Black Cats notch three successive draws, was the suspension of Jobe Bellingham, who had to sit out of three games due to his red card against Queens Park Rangers.
The defence has also seen absentees, most notably Anthony Patterson in-between the sticks and Dan Ballard in defence, with the latter sending a subtle message to the French boss surrounding his desire to notch more game time for Sunderland.
Le Bris’ side have also seen other absences in the attacking front, with Eliezer Mayenda having to undergo a long spell on the sidelines due to injury, and now he has returned to the side, he may be asking the French boss for extra clarity on his importance to the team.
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Eliezer Mayenda will be demanding answers after slow return to action for Sunderland
Mayenda had an emphatic start to the 2024/25 Championship campaign, which saw him accumulate four goal contributions in just six games before he sustained an injury.
Ever since his return, he has been named on the bench for the past three games, with him only being handed 10 minutes of action on one occasion.
After leading the line at the start of the season, the Spanish 19-year-old may have expected more of a fast-tracked return to action, however French Forward Wilson Isidor is currently keeping the attacker out of the side.
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Regis Le Bris must be reminded of Eliezer Mayenda’s top talents
Prior to his injury, Mayenda was nothing short of ‘excellent’ for the Black Cats, and whilst he was forced into missing six games in which he wasn’t named in the squad, his return to full fitness should also be met with a guarantee of game time within Le Bris’ squad.
Even though Isidor has been very solid ever since his inclusion in the squad, Mayenda has certainly staked his claim to have a guarantee of minutes, even if it just shows him utilised from off-the-bench.
Le Bris must remember that the option of Mayenda is more than viable, especially when comparing to the likes of Aaron Connolly, who should simply not be ahead of the Spanish forward in the pecking order.