Sunderland are back in action when they face Oxford United in the FA Cup on Sunday afternoon
Régis Le Bris says he has no doubt that Chris Rigg will get more opportunities at Sunderland this season despite his lack of recent game time.
Though Le Bris has made clear he will select as strong a team as possible at Oxford United in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday afternoon, some rotation is expected and Rigg will be one of those who comes into contention whether from the start or the bench.
A loan in the January transfer window had been discussed given Rigg's lack of game time, but Le Bris says he is operating with a relatively small squad and that it will inevitably mean that Rigg gets opportunities between now and the end of the season.
"The group is small at the minute," Le Bris said.
"We have 21 players in the first team plus three goalkeepers, so it's not massive. It gives him, automatically, opportunities to play, even if it's not now.
"Just because the squad is not big, you know that you will be involved at times. It's not the case at the moment because we have other players, but the structure, the dynamic of the season is often like that, you have to wait for opportunities. He works well every day. He's really well-connected, intense. It's part of the journey of a young player. He's really young, so it's important to remind ourselves. He started a few games, was involved in a few games as well, so it's just a question of time."
Le Bris said he has had a lot of conversations with Rigg about his position in the squad and underlined that for a player so young, he feels the midfielder is in a very good place within the squad.
"We had many conversations with him about his pathway," Le Bris said.
"He's a really young and talented player, so he went through the first stages really easily because he's talented. Playing with the U15s, U16s, U17s, etc., with the young international teams as well, it was easy for him. Now, when you reach the last stage, especially in the Premier League, the competition is totally different. As a young player, you didn't develop the skills to face this new challenge before.
"Now it's time to develop this part. I think he's doing well. At the beginning, he was probably a bit surprised because he used to play, and now it's not the case. He might be thinking what's happened? But it's just the competition, part of real life. This part of his journey is really important. I think he's doing well. Humans are humans - you want to play. You're not really patient but I think his character, his composure are really good."
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Régis Le Bris outlines Sunderland selection plan at Oxford
“We had a strong week with two games against two top six teams,” Le Bris said.
“It was really demanding, physically especially. We'll probably adjust the squad, but it will be important to go strong. I think the schedule won't be too busy during this second part of the season. It's possible to combine both.
“Our attention is still on the league, it's really clear. We have to reach this target around 40 points, 42 maybe, because the race will be intense. This is our main intention. But because of the schedule, I think we can combine both. Let's try to go further [in the cup].”
Omar Alderete will be rested, while Jocelin Ta Bi could come into the matchday squad for the first time.
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