Régis Le Bris issues Romaine Mundle injury update and explains 'obvious' Eliezer Mayenda decision

Sunderland are assessing a new injury concern after Romaine Mundle was forced off during the 1-0 win over West Brom.

Mundle was replaced in the first half and experiencing more discomfort in his hamstring, the same one that he injured this season and that kept him sidelined for a number of months. Head coach Régis Le Bris says it is not yet clear whether he has suffered a significant injury but it’s clearly a big concern heading into the run-in.

"It's his hamstring yes," Le Bris said.

"We'll have to wait one or two days to assess how serious it is but it is the same hamstring he injured earlier this season. We'll have to see."

Le Bris sprung something of a surprise by turning not to fellow left winger Tommy Watson but instead to Eliezer Mayenda. Mayenda impressed with a strong cameo, including winning the free kick from which Trai Hume scored Sunderland’s winner.

Why Sunderland boss went with Eliezer Mayenda over Tommy Watson

Le Bris said his decision was not connected to the news this week that Watson would be joining Brighton at the end of the season, but instead a reflection of how well Mayenda has done this season. The youngster looks to be in pole position to come into the side if Mundle does indeed face a spell on the sidelines.

“Bringing Eli on was nothing to do with Tommy and the move to Brighton,” Le Bris said.

“I think Eli can probably be disappointed not to be in the starting XI because I think he deserves to be in the team. At the same time, it's not always possible because of the competition. He is the player who I think is most ready. He can play in different positions and is more mature, so I think this question was quite easy for me to solve.

“He can play off the left, off the right, as a striker or as a second striker even,” Le Bris added.

“He's a versatile player who works very well with the team. This was the obvious decision for me. He didn't play a lot of minutes of last season but now you can feel he is getting better because of his experiences. It's very positive for him and for us."

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