Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka made his return from injury last weekend

Marco Gabbiadini has suggested that having Granit Xhaka back in their starting XI will “make a difference” to Sunderland following the Black Cats’ recent dip in form.

Regis Le Bris’ side have won just two of their last seven top flight outings, and have been without their captain for four of those contests. On Sunday, however, Xhaka made his return from injury with a cameo appearance during a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Fulham, and speaking after the final whistle at the Stadium of Light, goalkeeper Robin Roefs emphasised just how much of an impact the midfielder’s absence has made on his team.

He said: “I think it's also when we have the ball, you know. We just didn't manage to keep it long enough and then when you have to run after the ball all the time, it's just difficult and we can't do it for 90 minutes. But yeah, we just need to step everything up.

“It's a really hard league, and you see when we aren't on our best - we have seen it a few times a season - if we aren't on our best everything can hurt us, and this shows the level of the league. But also, if we are at our best, we show that we can make it difficult for every opponent. So we just need to get our rhythm back, and I'm sure we will.”

“It's really important for us [having Xhaka back]. He's a leader, but also without the ball he’s really important for us. With the ball, like, the rest he brings to us. I know he's really important for us.”

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What has Marco Gabbiadini said about Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka?

And for his part, Gabbiadini has been quick to highlight how integral the Swiss veteran is to Sunderland’s hopes of returning to winning ways. Speaking on BBC Radio Newcastle’s Total Sport, he said: “Look, you’ve got to be careful not to get too despondent and carried away, but I think we do need to get the captain back in the middle of the park, somebody who's a little bit more anchored... Someone who's happy to just sit and control the game middle of the park will make a difference to us and, you know, there's been quite a lot of changes in the team. It hasn't been a particularly consistent team selection in the last few weeks, and maybe that has been an issue as well.

“It always takes time when new faces come into the dressing room as well. We've lost some people and brought some new people in. Maybe they've been working on things to get these players up to speed... They've got to hit the ground running and it's not easy to do that.”

He continued: “Of course he is [very important]. We've seen that, and he brings so much experience in a team that is still pretty green. Most of the players have not had long Premier League careers or have played that many games in the Premier League at all, and some of them haven't played many games full stop - Robin Roefs is only in his second full season, I think, isn't he? [Dan] Ballard has done the hard miles in League One and then the Championship, but it's a big step for him. He's been magnificent, but if there's a little bit of a lull, that's to be expected.”

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