Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris has insisted there is an opportunity for Adil Aouchiche and Abdoullah Ba to play their way back into his first-team plans, according to a report in The Northern Echo.
Le Bris’ side has started the season superbly, occupying second place in the Championship with 12 points and are preparing to face rivals Middlesbrough in the early kick tomorrow. The Black Cats have netted 12 times in five games and, as a result, both Aouchiche and Ba have found game time hard to come by.
Ba has failed to make a league appearance so far this campaign, whilst Aouchiche has managed just 12 minutes in the resounding 4-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday back in August. Both Frenchmen did play in Sunderland’s 2-0 defeat at the hands of Preston North End which saw them exit the Carabao Cup at Deepdale.
Abdoullah Ba joined Sunderland from French Ligue 2 outfit Le Havre in the summer of 2022, for a reported fee of nearly £1 million. He has played 74 times for the club across all competitions. Adil Aouchiche headed to The Stadium of Light from FC Lorient having grown up as a Paris St German youth player.
Both players were available for transfer during the summer window and have not been named in a squad since the victory at Hillsborough. Le Bris has stated he will not exclude the pair between now and the January window and has been impressed by the duo in training this week.
There is likely to be a place on the bench as Alan Browne is out with injury and the manager is open to the possibility of a return for Ba or Aouchiche.
He said, “It’s possible yes. We have Adil, Abdoullah, Milan (Aleksic) as well is available.”
“It’s a question of the dynamic, the momentum of the game – so we will see. Adil and Abdoullah are with us until the next transfer window, so they have my trust as players of Sunderland and players who have qualities to play and perform in the game.”
“Because they had the opportunity to leave, they needed to reconnect to the project and I like their behaviour in the training sessions this week.”
Writer’s View
With the way Sunderland have started the season, getting into the starting eleven is not going to be easy. Both of these players experienced Championship football last season and would have hoped to have kicked on in this campaign.
The change of manager and the inevitable additions made have forced them further down the pecking order but they have a second chance to impress Le Bris. Both have been capped at France Under 20 level and have talent but English football’s second tier is an unforgiving place.
If they have not broken into the first team by January, a move back to France to gain vital first-team minutes is perhaps their best option.
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