ABDULLAHI CRAIC

Ahmed Abdullahi is yet to make his senior debut for Sunderland AFC despite signing in August 2024. He suffered massively with injuries initially and following Sunderland's promotion to the top flight, finds himself even further down the pecking order. He did well in pre-season though and at 21 years old, Regis Le Bris insists the striker still has a long-term future for the club.

STRANGE SITUATION

"Sometimes Ahmed trains with us, sometimes with the U21s. Ahmed is in this situation. He struggled a bit after his surgery to recover properly. He had ups and downs. Now it seems a bit better, so I hope he will have this consistency in next weeks. I think so [still has a long-term future here]."

LOAN OPPORTUNITIES

"He's really young, he's talented. He was unlucky to suffer from this injury and didn't find the right rhythm. I hope it would be the case in next month and we'll see the best version of Ahmed."

OTHER FRINGE PLAYERS

"They are still training with a group, because we need to take care of them. But they are not involved in the core of the squad right now, so they are probably waiting for the next transfer window to find a new opportunity. It's not ideal, to be fair, but football is like that. Sometimes you have the perfect pathway, sometimes it's not the case and you have to manage the situation properly."