Sunderland’s opening pre-season friendly could offer several fringe players a rare chance to feature as the club prepare for York City
Sunderland’s opening pre-season friendly at York City on Saturday could bring several forgotten members of Régis Le Bris’ squad back into view, even if most are not expected to have a meaningful first-team role next season.
The Black Cats regularly use their earliest summer fixtures to distribute minutes widely, build fitness and assess players who may subsequently leave either permanently or on loan.
Saturday’s trip to York could therefore feature a number of players who spent much of last season away from the first-team picture.
Anthony Patterson is expected to leave Sunderland this summer but has returned to the Academy of Light for pre-season training after the back end of last season on loan at Millwall and reaching the play-offs under Alex Neil. The goalkeeper could still be involved at York while his future is resolved, particularly with early friendlies often used to give several members of the goalkeeping group minutes.
Leo Hjelde is another who could come back into the equation after returning from Sheffield United. The defender has struggled to establish himself as a regular option and is unlikely to be viewed as a prominent part of Le Bris’ plans, but he remains available and could feature during the opening weeks of pre-season.
Jenson Seelt is perhaps the most intriguing name on the list. The Dutch defender has had his Sunderland career heavily disrupted by injury, and there remains some uncertainty over his current condition. Of those on the fringes, Seelt appears the player with the clearest potential route towards eventually becoming a first-team option again if he can prove his fitness and rediscover his previous level after returning from a loan at Wolfsburg.
Aji Alese’s fitness position is also unclear. The defender has endured repeated injury problems and, while he is not expected to force his way into Sunderland’s preferred senior group, pre-season involvement would at least represent a positive step after another disrupted period and injury-hit loan at Portsmouth last season.
Arthur Masuaku, returning from RC Lens and the World Cup**,** and Alan Browne, who spent last season on loan at Middlesbrough, could also be considered for minutes. Both are experienced players, although neither appears likely to play a significant role during the forthcoming campaign and Sunderland may be open to finding solutions for them this summer. Ahmed Abdullahi is another possible inclusion. The striker remains some distance from the senior picture, but the early friendlies could provide him with an opportunity to build fitness and attract interest ahead of a potential move.
Several other fringe players are likely not to be involved. Abdoullah Ba, Timothée Pembélé and Luís Hemir Semedo are not expected to feature at York as Sunderland continue to work towards resolving their futures. Milan Aleksić is also unavailable after leaving the club on loan.
The opening friendly will offer few definitive answers about Sunderland’s strongest side, but it may provide an early indication of which fringe players remain available while the club reshapes its squad. For most, involvement at York would be less about earning a place in Le Bris’ team and more about building fitness, putting themselves in the shop window and preparing for the next stage of their careers.
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