The options Regis Le Bris has to replace Habib Diarra and the player who will surely be given their chance
Sunderland are set to be without Habib Diarra for a considerable period of time
It’s almost a worst case scenario; Sunderland are set to be without record signing Habib Diarra right the way through to December, at which point, injured groin permitting, he will presumably jet off to compete in the African Cup of Nations with Senegal.
Depending on how far Pape Thiaw’s side progress in that tournament - and assuming his recovery goes exactly as planned - the midfielder could be absent for the Black Cats’ next 10 matches.
As such, Regis Le Bris is in desperate need of a medium-to-long term solution. While Diarra rehabilitates from the surgery he underwent earlier this week, the Sunderland head coach will be looking at his squad and trying to decide the best of way of proceeding over the coming weeks and months. And with that in mind, here are the options available to Le Bris and his staff...
Chris Rigg
Perhaps the most obvious option, and the one that Le Bris went with against Aston Villa at the weekend, prior to Rigg’s early substitution. Bringing in the teenager allows the head coach to keep his best performers in their best positions, and also frees up Enzo Le Fée to play out on the left in that manner that we know his boss is so keen on. Rigg himself looked assured prior to coming off on Sunday afternoon, and will presumably be given more chances to prove himself moving forward. This feels like the most likely solution at the time of writing.
Enzo Le Fée
Le Fée has barely played in his preferred number 10 role since signing for Sunderland - partially because of injuries elsewhere, and partially because of how well he has performed out on the left. Diarra’s absence could open him up to a switch inside, with Simon Adingra potentially coming back into the team on the flank.
Dan Neil
The midfielder made his Premier League debut on Sunday, but it is perhaps telling that he as brought on as a direct replacement for Noah Sadiki. From what we can deduce, Le Bris sees Neil as more suited to that role than Diarra’s, but a slight reshuffle in shape could potentially allow both to operate alongside each other.
Lutsharel Geertruida
The Dutchman was ostensibly signed as a defender, but is evidently very versatile, and has made both of his substitute appearances so far as an added midfield enforcer. Throwing him into the mix could be an option for Le Bris in matches were Sunderland feel the need to approach with a more cautious outlook, and there is always the option of starting Granit Xhaka further forward - although given how well he has performed in a deeper role this term, that is unlikely to be the gaffer’s first port of call.
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.
Three at the back
And finally, as we saw against Villa on Sunday, when Sunderland decide to change formation and go with a three and the back, Nordi Mukiele, Omar Alderete, and Dan Ballard make for a fearsome defensive Cerberus. Again, Le Bris hasn’t necessarily shown too much of a propensity for fiddling with his shape during his time on Wearside - even those experiments with a 4-4-2 were a little bit of a misnomer given that the Black Cats defend in something akin to that setup a lot of the time anyways - but the early evidence would suggest that it is a useful option to have in his back pocket if and when needed.
Your next Sunderland read: Trai Hume sends 61-word message to Sunderland teammate Dan Neil after Premier League debut