Tony Mowbray confirms exciting Adil Aouchiche plan after first Sunderland goal

Tony Mowbray says Adil Aouchiche is ready for his full debut at Sunderland after his latest impressive cameo from the bench on Saturday.

His appearance against Birmingham City was his eighth in a red-and-white shirt, and brought his first goal as he converted Jack Clarke's cross from close range to give his side an unassailable 3-1 lead.

Mowbray has revealed that Aouchiche was in line to make his first start against Leicester City last month, only to be hit with a minor muscle injury.

Though Jobe's hugely impressive form means Aouchiche might have to be patient for a little longer yet, Mowbray says the 21-year-old is back fully up to speed and as such, his first start is an inevitability in the not-too-distant future.

"I think he is ready and we've said that," Mowbray said.

"He was going to play away at Leicester, he was going to start that game, but he picked up an injury and so we went again with Jobe.

He is very accomplished with the football, we won't worry about him and whether it [the move] is going to keep breaking down on Adil - he is very talented. He wants to break the box and get in there to try and score. The competition for Adil is as a number ten, I think. So it's Jobe, Dack, Pritchard... It's been tough for him while we didn't feel he was quite ready to actually put him in.

"We feel he's up to speed now, we felt he was before and we were ready to put him in, but he picked up that knock," Mowbray added.

"He's up to speed again and he's come on and scored for us. Somewhere down the line, around the Christmas period when we have so many fixtures, he is going to be starting football matches. And if he is scoring goals, it's going to the other lads asking me why they're not playing and I'll be telling them 'it's because Adil keeps threatening the goal, scoring and creating'. That's football, a competition within a competition in your club."

Aouchiche arrived from FC Lorient on deadline day.