Sunderland are expecting to be without Bertrand Traore for at least the next four games
Régis Le Bris has confirmed that Bertrand Traoré is facing at least another three weeks on the sidelines with a knee injury, meaning he is likely to miss at least four more Sunderland games.
The winger looks set to return at a similar time as Granit Xhaka, whose ankle injury will be assessed next week but who Le Bris is also expecting to be without for around three weeks. The Burkino Faso has been a significant absentee since departing for the Africa Cup of Nations, and has not yet been definitively replaced in the XI.
Le Bris said the winger’s experience allowed him to deliver consistently for Sunderland and this other, younger players in the position needed time to find that level of consistency.
“He needs probably at least three weeks to get back, so we'll have a good spring when they're [Traore and Granit Xhaka] back in the team,” Le Bris said.
“For our wingers, this position is really important. It's really demanding and his experience was really important. He can manage the defensive side with efficiency. He can save energy but with high consistency out of possession, and then he can attack. When you are a younger player it's often difficult because it's really demanding. Sometimes you defend a lot, but you can't attack so you can't show your strengths. Bertrand was really important.
“For the others, the journey is the journey. It's impossible to have a linear [upwards] trend across a whole season.”
Many fans would like to see Sunderland strengthen in this position given Traoré’s ongoing absence and while Le Bris said it was a position where the team would benefit from some added experience and depth, a signing before the deadline on Monday evening was not a certainty.
“It's obvious,” Le Bris said.
“The facts are facts. This position is tough. We have many young players in those positions. It's not easy to fill every position with experienced players and players who can deliver straight away. They need time and support. If we can strengthen the squad we'll do it but we don't need five or six wingers. Sometimes we made a choice and you have to adapt and accept it will take more time.”
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Régis Le Bris sets out Sunderland’s transfer stance in the final days of the January transfer window
“I won't comment on individual players but the market is often the same,” Le Bris said.
“Many interest, many conversations, not many deals. For us as a club and a team we don't have to rush anything. We're happy with our squad. If we can reinforce our team we'll try. We'll see what happens. It's still possible, the market is the market and it's unpredictable. It’s better for us to go under the radar and the market is often more active at the end.”
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