Reporter Joe Nicholson believes that Trai Hume will start for Sunderland on Thursday evening.
It’s been a frustrating season thus far for Hume, who’s only been afforded six league appearances for the Black Cats, with just two of them being starts. However, after 39 minutes on Boxing Day, he could well be in line to feature from the off later this week.
According to Nicholson, Sunderland currently have very few options in the full-back position given the major injury crisis they’re now facing, and Hume may well come in for their Championship clash against Wigan Athletic.
Nicholson has claimed on The Roar podcast that Hume, who has been described as ‘fearless’, could be handed just his third league start of the season by Tony Mowbray due to other players’ misfortunes.
He said: “At full-back, it’s quite short there. I guess that Trai Hume will probably come in; I thought he did well when he came on against Blackburn.
“So would he [Mowbray] switch to a wing-back system which would allow him to get Simms and Stewart in the team, or does he stick with the back four [and] stick with Roberts and Amad?”
Will Sunderland beat Wigan?
Yes!
No!
TIF Thoughts on Hume potentially starting…
It would be a big ask for Hume to start and put in an effective performance in the Championship given he hasn’t started a league game since 22nd October in the 4-2 defeat at the hands of Burnley.
However, having impressed while being introduced into the match with things all square on Monday before helping to turn things around, the youngster could well be ready to make more regular appearances for the Black Cats and ease the injury woes facing the team.
Mowbray will be hoping that after almost 12 months at the club, Hume has been able to adapt his game and become acclimatised to English football, so starting at least one game shouldn’t be too much of a worry.