Sunderland return to action in the Championship this afternoon as they face promotion-chasing Luton Town at the Stadium of Light.
The Black Cats have lost four of their last five matches in the division and will be hoping to head into the upcoming international break on a high.
Tony Mowbray’s side were beaten 2-1 by Sheffield United, despite taking the lead through Edouard Michut, on Wednesday night and there could be at least one change for the head coach to make.
Luke O’Nien started the game at left-back and was forced off with an injury in the 87th minute, which could cause him issues ahead of today’s match.
Speaking about the defender’s situation, Mowbray said:
“I think it was just a kick and a clash, and yet it is a bit concerning because Luke O’Nien isn’t somebody who would be hobbling about or staying down from an injury, so we’ll see over the next day or two.”
However, the head coach later added that the defender should be “okay” to be in the squad.
Who could replace Luke O’Nien?
With natural left-backs Dennis Cirkin and Aji Alese out, the Black Cats manager must avoid risking aggravating any issue for O’Nien by handing a start to January signing Joe Anderson.
Although the versatile ace may be ‘okay’, there is no need to risk him when there is another player in Anderson who could step in. While the 22-year-old plays in the heart of the defence by trade, the Englishman is also capable of playing at left-back.
He has been deployed as a full-back in 23 matches in his youth career – along with a further 65 at centre-back – and this suggests that the enforcer is comfortable featuring on the flank.
Anderson could also improve the team’s build-up play out from the back, with Mowbray describing him being a naturally left-footed player as a “rarity” upon his arrival.
O’Nien – a right-footed gem – only created one chance in his last four appearances and the ex-Everton man produced 0.8 key passes per match in the EFL Trophy earlier this term.
The 22-year-old, who made 3.3 tackles and interceptions per game in the EFL Trophy this season, did catch the eye in his cameo against Millwall last month – making four tackles and interceptions in just 12 minutes on the pitch.
Journalist Josh Bunting once hailed the defender as “impressive” and his statistics in his short Championship debut proved that he has the potential to be just that in the second tier.
Therefore, Mowbray must unleash the battler in place of O’Nien he could be an excellent stand-in at left-back with his defensive and creative ability.
