Regis Le Bris must make sure he makes the correct decision ahead of one upcoming dilemma.
Sunderland find themselves locked in 4th position in the Championship table after their recent 1-0 defeat to Sheffield United.
The Blades came away with all three points in a game that Regis Le Bris’ side will certainly feel hard done by after a resolute and top performance at Bramall Lane, somewhere that has not seen an away goal in its previous eight games.
As a result of the 1-0 loss, the Black Cats now find themselves on a run of six games without a win, with the upcoming games set to be even more difficult with the loss of Chris Mepham due to suspension, who will now be unavailable for three games after picking up a red card vs Sheffield United.
What awaits is a challenging decision for French boss Le Bris to make over his selection, but there is one clear option that makes the most sense.
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Regis Le Bris must make correct call on who to replace Chris Mepham for Sunderland
The Black Cats will sorely miss Mepham after putting in several ‘magical’ performances so far in the 2024/25 Championship campaign, and there is no doubt that it will be difficult to replicate the resolute performances when he is at the heart of the defence.
As a result of his absence, it will become very clear just how crucial Luke O’Nien is in such a situation when there are players missing as he is able to slot in anywhere across the backline.
This means that, if Dennis Cirkin is available for next time out against Stoke City, O’Nien will slot in at centre-back, joining Trai Hume and Dan Ballard.
Alternatively, O’Nien may have to play at left-back once again if Cirkin can’t quite make it, and that will call for the introduction of Aji Alese at centre-back, who has only started on four occasions this season in the Championship.
Luke O’Nien versatility masks key issue for Sunderland
Whilst having O’Nien in-and-around the side is very important in times like this where options are limited, it is very eye opening to the fact that, without him, Sunderland would have massive defensive issues.
It is certainly not sustainable for the Black Cats to go with such limited defensive options, and it is an area of concern that must be looked into with January awaiting, where Sunderland should prioritise bolstering their options.
Sunderland have been somewhat fortunate this season to not have Ballard and Mepham’s absences overlap, otherwise key issues would arise for the Black Cats, and that is a chance that shouldn’t be taken beyond the January transfer window.