Trai Hume explains Sunderland challenge before Stoke and Leicester games after loss against Alex Neil’s side

Trai Hume admits it is challenging when there are quick turnarounds for international players but didn’t want to make excuses following Sunderland’s 2-1 defeat against Stoke.

Tony Mowbray’s side were beaten 2-1 at the bet365 Stadium after several of their first-team players, including Hume, Dan Ballard, Jobe Bellingham, Mason Burstow and Nazariy Rusyn, had been away representing their countries at senior and youth-team level.

Hume started two matches for Northern Ireland during the break, including a 1-0 defeat against Slovenia at Windsor Park on Tuesday. “I got back on Thursday morning so I had played on Tuesday so didn’t really do much Thursday,” replied Hume when asked about his preparations for the Stoke game. “I trained Friday and played Saturday, "

“I try to separate the two. I try to keep the international football away from the league football but obviously for me personally it’s tough on the legs playing Saturday-Tuesday every week. Whenever I go away with internationals some of the boys get a break but obviously the international players don’t. I’m not here to complain about that, I’m here to play every week and that’s what I’ll try my best to do.”

Sunderland once again came unstuck against their former boss Alex Neil, who has won both games against the Black Cats while in charge of Stoke. “Obviously he knows our players and knows the way we play,” explained Hume. “He probably analysed us a lot throughout the week. Even with that I thought we played through them a lot, created a lot of chances but were unfortunate not to take them.”

The Black Cats will look to bounce back from consecutive defeats when they travel to Championship leaders Leicester on Tuesday, a game Hume is looking forward to. “At this moment in time they are the best team in the league. They are top of the table and probably in form are the best team in the league,” he said.

“They have a lot of Premier League players so obviously for us young boys it will be a good test going there and testing ourselves against one of the best teams in the league and hopefully going toe to toe with them.”