Regis Le Bris will be concerned about one potential problem after Sunderland beat Middlesbrough.
The Black Cats played host to their local rivals Middlesbrough on Saturday, September 21st.
Regis Le Bris watched on as Sunderland lost 3-2 to Plymouth Argyle in their previous league outing.
It was a surprisingly poor performance from the North East outfit, whose defensive errors cost them three points against Wayne Rooney’s men.
And after beating Boro just once since an FA Cup clash in 2012, the Sunderland faithful were no doubt slightly concerned a second defeat in a row was on the cards this weekend.
However, Sunderland beat Middlesbrough 1-0 thanks to a first half-goal from teenage sensation, Chris Rigg.
That result keeps Le Bris’ men second in the Championship table, only off top spot by one point.
While there were many positives to take from the win over the Teessiders, one thing will concern Le Bris after the fact.
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Regis Le Bris has Trai Hume problem after Middlesbrough
After Middlesbrough, Sunderland have a tough run of Championship fixtures on the horizon.
Their next outing sees the North East outfit travel away from home to take on a promotion-chasing Watford on September 28th.
Tough meetings against the likes of Leeds United and Luton Town are also on the cards in the coming weeks.
Now though, it looks as though Le Bris will have to make do without Trai Hume for at least one of those fixtures.
The right-back started against the Teessiders and picked up a yellow card for a foul in the ninth minute.
That was Hume’s fourth yellow card of the season in just six games, meaning he is now just one booking away from facing a one-match suspension.
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Why Trai Hume suspension would be major issue for Sunderland
Hume is a quality player and losing him for any period of time would, of course, be a big blow for Sunderland.
However, the 22-year-old’s all-but-guaranteed upcoming suspension is likely to prove especially costly for Le Bris.
This is because, right now, the Black Cats currently have zero natural cover at right-back in their first-team squad.
Hume has played every single minute of Championship football this season as there is nobody in the Sunderland squad who can replace him.
The North East side have three left-backs on their books right now, but Hume is the only right-sided defender.
As a result, one of Dennis Cirkin, Leo Fuhr Hjelde or Niall Huggins will likely be forced to play out of position to fill in for Hume if and when he picks up a yellow card.
Huggins is the only one of that trio with any right-back experience, with it clear Hume’s suspension will cause Le Bris a major headache in the near future.