The Sunderland youngster facing a big challenge & handing Tony Mowbray a tactical conundrum

It was another reminder that even if the 21-year-old is struggling for regular minutes, he has a habit of finding opportunities. When introduced up front at Watford he struck an effort inches wide of the far post moments before Jewison Bennette's equaliser, and at Luton Town he cracked an effort from almost nowhere off the post.

Last season, he compared well within the club for goals or assists per-minutes player; the German has a habit of making things happen. This season has so far been one of 'almost' moments and the consequence of Mowbray's forward depth improving is that the challenge is only growing.

Most supporters would sympathise with Dajaku, who has been asked to operate in a centre-forward role on the basis of making a decent go of it against Roma in pre-season. He's been unable to maintain that as a regular position, though, because set against that habit of finding chances he is unquestionably inconsistent. In his last appearance at Huddersfield Town Mowbray withdrew him at half time and it was a decision few quibbled with.

The riddle for Mowbray is that he can clearly see he is best out wide, but his options in those positions are significant and enjoying good campaigns.

Mowbray summed this up neatly earlier this month, when he spoke before the defeat to Cardiff about where he felt Dajaku stood: "He's got some good attributes and he needs to get his confidence levels up.

"He needs to believe in himself. He has got a rocket in his right foot which he doesn't show anybody enough - I watch him in training and he can take the net off the goals with the power in his right foot.

"I keep saying 'when you get on your right foot, shoot!' I see it in training and it's amazing. If anything, he tries a bit too hard. And is he a central striker? Does he want to play wide?

"He's got some competition if he wants to play wide in this team. The opportunity was there to play him centre-forward but I'm not sure he is comfortable with his back to goal, he needs the ball in front of him chasing onto it.

"It's trying to see the players you've got and how you're going to put them into the team in the way we're going to play. I think he is just falling a little bit in between because he is not a back-to-goal centre-forward who can hold people off and bring people in, yet he probably hasn't got the blistering speed that you need to threaten behind them."

With Simms now close to full fitness and Ross Stewart near to a return, that striking experiment is likely over for the foreseeable future. Which leaves Dajaku battling with Amad, Patrick Roberts, Jack Clarke, Jewison Bennette and even Elliot Embleton on occasion for minutes.

There's no doubt Dajaku has the talent to impact games, and it's easy to forget how young he still is given his pedigree. It's nevertheless a conundrum as the January window looms - like every young winger Dajaku needs game time.