Sunderland handed out three full debuts in their Carabao Cup win

Régis Le Bris believes Jules Ahoka showed he has 'great potential' after a successful Sunderland debut against Hull City.

Ahoka played 90 minutes in the 1-0 Carabao Cup third round win at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday night, his first appearance for the club since his summer move from Royal Antwerp. Despite Sunderland paying a fee in the region of €10 million to sign the DR Congo youngster, the game against Hull City was only his fifth in European club football. While Sunderland were confident they were signing a player of immense potential, Le Bris admits there was clearly an element of the unknown and is encouraged by Ahoka's very assured start.

"I'm happy with his first start because coming from only three or four games in Belgium at the professional level, you don't know," Le Bris said.

"It's completely unknown because you have to play and show when it's important. I think we were confident but we still had something to find out. I'm really pleased because he showed calm, composure on the ball at the beginning. He probably wasn't able to take risks but progressively he did; he looks really sharp and has great potential."

The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click this link to join our SAFC WhatsApp channel.

Le Bris was also encouraged by Dayann Methalie and Malick Fofana's progress.

Methalie also made his full debut in the game, playing just over an hour before being placed by Thomas Meunier. Fofana played just shy of 80 minutes and Le Bris believes there were signs from both in the second half that they are growing in confidence and sharpness following their summer moves from Toulouse and Lyon respectively.

"They were good, I think, more or less the same as Jules," Le Bris said.

"They started a bit reserved, I would say, just to do different things well. Progressively, with confidence and more space, they got better. I think their second half was really good at the beginning. They played 25 or 30 minutes but with more freedom and more confidence."

Sunderland will discover their fourth round opponent when the draw is made next Wednesday night following the conclusion of Brighton v Manchester United. The fourth round ties will take place during the week of October 26th.

Your next Sunderland read: Florent Ghisolfi explains why Sunderland never wavered in Malick Fofana bid despite deadline-day saga