The selection conundrum dividing Sunderland fans - and why it could cause Regis Le Bris a headache in 2025
Sunderland duo Romaine Mundle and Tommy Watson have both impressed this season.
When Jack Clarke left Sunderland over the summer, the big concern held by many on Wearside was that the Black Cats would struggle to replace the winger with an equally influential attacking presence.
Within a matter of weeks, after Romaine Mundle started the campaign in electric form, those worries had seemingly been put to bed. The 21-year-old has registered four goals and two assists already this season, but has missed each of Sunderland’s last five matches after suffering an injury in last month’s 2-2 draw with Coventry City. He is expected to be out until the new year as a result.
What should have been a major setback for the Black Cats, however, ultimately came to look more like a gilded opportunity for teenage star Tommy Watson. Assuming Mundle’s brief on the left flank, the academy graduate shone brightly during his first sustained run in the senior side, and was rewarded for his stellar work with a match-winning brace in last weekend’s victory over Stoke City.
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But then, earlier this week, yet more disaster struck. Watson lasted less than half an hour during Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Bristol City before being withdrawn with simultaneous injuries to his knee and ankle, and according to head coach Regis Le Bris, the expectation is that he will be out of action for around two months.
Speaking in a press conference, the Frenchman said: “It was a big impact – he could have scored, but in the end he will be out. It’s part of his journey and part of his career to be faced with these problems. Tommy started well with the team, but now he has to wait.”
How Sunderland deal with their personnel issues on the left wing remains to be seen, but certainly, given how well both Mundle and Watson have adapted to life in the first team picture, there are conversations to be had about who Le Bris’ preferred option should be when both are fit and available once again.
To that end, The Echo asked readers who they believed Sunderland’s starting left winger should be, and the results were remarkably close. Of those polled, some 53% would still put their trust in Mundle, while 43% have seen enough from Watson to suggest that he deserves to keep the shirt.
Of course, for the time being, neither is in contention - and it is worth reiterating that Mundle is expected to be back much sooner than his teammate. But when both are back to full health, it would appear that Le Bris will have a tricky - if not wholly unpleasant - headache to deal with.