Mason Burstow's Sunderland situation explained after Chelsea loan deal as Mike Dodds discusses Hemir decision

Sunderland’s interim boss Mike Dodds says Chelsea loanee Mason Burstow could still have a part to play this season despite the striker’s lack of game time in recent weeks.

Burstow hasn’t started any of the six league games Dodds has taken charge of this season, including three matches in December, and was an unused substitute for Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat against Leicester. That meant Hemir was handed his second consecutive start up front, while Nazariy Rusyn and Jobe Bellingham have also led the line under Dodds.

When asked about Burstow and his striker options, Dodds told the Echo: “I really like Mason, he’s got an infectious personality and he’s obviously desperate to do well. It hasn’t quite gone the way everyone would have hoped it would go so far.

“I just think with the Hemir one, I just felt he showed a level of application and attitude that I felt he deserved an opportunity, then I didn’t really want to take him out of the team on Tuesday because I wanted to have a level of consistency with it. Jobe has played there in my previous spell. 

“The point I would make around all of them is we’ve got to do more in terms of creating chances, so there is an element. They have also got to stamp their authority as the number nine for Sunderland Football Club, which is hard. If you think about some of the number nines, not just in the short-term future, but if you go back further they’ve had some unbelievable number nines. They have got to do more in terms of stamping their authority on that position, so it’s a little bit of both. We’ve got to do our bit, they’ve got to do their bit. 

“In terms of Mason, we pick the team based on what we feel is the best team to win the game. Obviously Mason hasn’t featured in the last three games but that’s not to say he won’t feature in the next three games or any of the games coming up.”

Sunderland are preparing for Saturday’s fixture against Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium, before a home game against QPR.