Sunderland boss reacts to Edouard Michut's debut and explains where PSG youngster could fit into starting XI

Michut made his debut from the bench in the 0-0 draw with Blackpool on Tuesday night, with Mowbray eager to give him the opportunity to show his quality after an at times frustrating start to his career on Wearside.

It was a difficult spell for the side against a much-improved Blackpool from the first half at the Stadium of Light, and the head coach supporters will see more and more of Michut's talent in the weeks ahead as he adjusts to the demands of the second tier.

"He was put in the squad and on the pitch because I see his talent everyday on the training ground," Mowbray said.

"Maybe it was a bit unfair to throw him in, I did have a chat with him after the match and I think his preference is probably to play a little bit deeper in that pivot role, where he can play forward passes through the lines.

"We didn't do that on Tuesday because we brought Dan Neil on for Corry Evans, because in that position you want that core understanding of what a game in the Championship is all about. I think it's a bit too much responsibility to throw a young kid new to the league and the club, who hadn't played a minute of Championship football, into that position in a game like that.

"At some stage I'm sure he'll develop into a real top-class pivot who feeds the ball around the pitch, hitting short and long passes. "He's technically very, very gifted, it was just about getting him on the pitch and seeing if we could get that spark as a team, because the momentum had probably shifted towards Blackpool at that point.

"We probably didn't get him on the ball enough as a team, I would suggest."

Michut is likely to be in the squad when Sunderland face Swansea City this weekend though there is competition from Jay Matete. Evans looks certain to retain his place in the starting XI though in the long term Mowbray is eager to carefully manage his workload.