Matt Craddock has explained Aji Alese's absence on Monday night and a possible UEFA route for youngsters
Sunderland U21s boss Matt Craddock has explained why Aji Alese and Jenson Jones were absent from the 5-1 win over Nottingham Forest and outlined the opportunities available to the club’s academy players this season.
Alese had played around 100 minutes against Jong PSV in the Premier League International Cup the previous week, while Jones had been working through a heavy training load. Sunderland therefore opted not to include either player at Eppleton Colliery Welfare.
“It was just about managing workloads a little bit,” Craddock told The Echo. “Aji ended up doing 100 minutes against PSV, so with him it was just about managing his workload. Jenson had quite a heavy training load as well, so we decided not to risk anything and keep him out, which obviously gave Finlay an opportunity at full-back.”
The absences came as Sunderland continue to balance the demands placed on their younger players with the need to provide development opportunities. Craddock was also asked about the increasing gap between under-21 football and a first team now operating in the Premier League.
“With time is the honest answer,” Craddock said. “When the club have had so much progression in such a short space of time, it really is back where it belongs. And they’re spending so much money on real quality players. It is just going to take time.
“We have to keep focusing on the processes, and the outcome will take care of itself. We have to keep working really hard. We have to keep pushing our young players, keep giving them opportunities to showcase themselves and eventually we’ll start closing the gap.”
Sunderland’s involvement in Europe could create additional opportunities for eligible academy players. The UEFA B-list provides a route for younger homegrown players to be registered outside the main squad, while the domestic cup competitions also offer possible openings over the course of the season.
Craddock believes the message to Sunderland’s under-21 players is to remain ready and treat every appearance as a chance to impress those monitoring their progress. “One hundred per cent,” he said when asked if some of Sunderland’s youngsters could expect to be involved. “I’ve said this, they should be looking at opportunities. When is it going to come my way?
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“I said to them literally before we walked out today that there is always somebody watching you, whether you’re in training or whether you’re in a game. You just never know who’s watching you. Everything that you do as an under-21 player is an opportunity to showcase yourself, and tonight they’ve done that.”
Sunderland will discover their Europa League league-phase opponents on Friday, August 28, with UEFA’s draw taking place in Monaco from 13:00 CET, or midday in the UK. The league phase itself begins on September 16/17, adding another strand to the club’s busy schedule this season.
Sunderland’s under-21s, meanwhile, are next in action on Monday when Matt Craddock’s side travel to Brentford as they look to build on their 5-1 win over Nottingham Forest at Eppleton.
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Aji Alese absence explained and potential UEFA squad route outlined by Sunderland coach