The Sunderland outcast that 41% of fans want to see Regis Le Bris start vs Millwall
Sunderland winger Abdoullah Ba has tumbled down the pecking order this season
Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris is facing something of a selection nightmare ahead of his side’s trip to face Millwall in the Championship next weekend.
The Black Cats are expected to be without a number of first team talents, with several ruled out through injury and a smattering more suspended. Among those set for a watching brief at The Den are wingers Patrick Roberts and Ian Poveda, while fellow wide man Romaine Mundle remains a notable doubt after being withdrawn during the recent 2-2 draw with Coventry City.
As such, Le Bris could be forced into deploying an unfamiliar frontline, with teenage starlet Tommy Watson likely to feature in some capacity, and the prospect of top scorer Wilson Isidor reverting to a wide berth also on the table. But one other option available to the Frenchman would be to bring Abdoullah Ba back in from the cold for a first league start of the campaign.
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The 21-year-old has been largely frozen out since Le Bris arrived on Wearside, and has been limited to just 81 minutes of first team football so far this term, featuring in the Carabao Cup defeat against Preston North End back in September. He has, however, been named in Sunderland’s match day squad on six other occasions, with his most recent inclusion coming in early October for the dramatic 2-2 draw with Leeds United.
And given the scarcity of alternatives available to Le Bris heading into the Black Cats’ clash with Millwall, it is arguable that Ba has never been closer to a comeback than he is right now. Certainly, in a positional sense, there is a suggestion to be made for him being the most natural replacement for Roberts the head coach has at his disposal.
With that in mind, over the past few days, The Echo have asked readers whether or not they would hand Ba a starting role in the capital next weekend. Some 59% of responses to our poll would rather see the Frenchman left out of the side, but by contrast, 41% of supporters are keen on him being afforded his first Championship outing of the campaign. Only time will tell which approach Le Bris opts for.