The influential Sunderland star who could provide major play-off boost after training ground development

When the dust settles on Sunderland’s season - whether that be in triumph and exultation at Wembley, or in dreary disappointment before then - how important will we come to see Romaine Mundle’s emergence, and subsequent periods of injury absence, over the past nine months?

At the beginning of the campaign, the winger faced the unenviable task of succeeding Jack Clarke on Wearside, but succeed he has, in more ways than one. In the first three matches after his predecessor departed for Ipswich Town, Mundle scored three goals, and while he may only have contributed a couple of strikes and a couple of assists since then, there’s no denying how impactful he has proven himself to be during Regis Le Bris’ tenure.

Whether it be his uncanny ability to leave sputtering full-backs in his wake, his knack for cutting in-field onto that whip-smart right boot of his, or the exemplary defensive work rate that he frequently exhibits, perhaps the greatest compliment that can be paid to Mundle is that at no point this term have Sunderland genuinely looked as if they have missed the aforementioned Clarke.

There have, however, been plenty of times during which they have missed Mundle himself. The attacker’s first injury setback of the season came in the 2-2 draw against Coventry City at the Stadium of Light back in November. Mundle had already registered a brace of assists in that contest prior to succumbing to a hamstring complaint that would cruelly disrupt his momentum and keep him sidelined until late February.

In retrospect, there is an argument to be made for that injury representing a fulcrum on which Sunderland’s fortunes pivoted somewhat. The Black Cats would win just one of their next five matches in the Championship, as well as letting their lead against Coventry slip after Mundle was forced off.

Upon his return in the new year, the wide man largely picked up where he left off with a series of lively, proactive displays, and his last gasp screamer to rescue a point in a 1-1 draw with Preston North End partway through March was so exquisite that it won him Sunderland’s Goal of the Season award.

But then injury would strike again, and since Mundle was hamstrung by his hamstring in a 1-0 victory over West Brom earlier this month, the Black Cats have endured their worst run of the campaign thus far, drawing once and then losing four on the bounce.

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How much of a difference does Romaine Mundle make to Sunderland?

And all of this begs the question, just how much better would Sunderland have performed this season had they been able to rely upon Mundle’s availability on a weekly basis? Well, while it does not make for an exact science, the Black Cats’ points per game comparative average makes for stark reading. With Mundle in their starting XI, Le Bris’ men have recorded a PPG rate of 2.11. Broadened to include any match in which Mundle has featured at all, that figure still sits at 2.0. Without the winger, however, their average tumbles to just 1.39.

But while Mundle has been absent of late, there may be good news on the horizon. Le Bris has already emphasised his belief that the 22-year-old will be fit enough to make a return in next month’s play-off semi-finals, and to that end, he was pictured - geared up and grinning - during a training session with his teammates in Portugal this week.

The long and the short of it is that Sunderland are, statistically-speaking, a worse team without Mundle. Thankfully, they shouldn’t be without him for too much longer.

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