Lamine Kone made a comeback to the pitch after a long stint on the sidelines for Sunderland’s U23 side against Leicester City last night. The Black Cats beat the opposition to progress to the knockout stages of the Premier League International Cup and Chris Coleman got to see one his most experienced centre-backs in action for the first time. Kone is being eased into the game after being out for over three months with a groin injury and this should come as a positive note to the fans at the Stadium of Light.
The Ivory Coast international arrived at Sunderland in January of 2016 under then-manager, Sam Allardyce for £5m. But he has failed to make his mark for the Black Cats often speculated to make an exit. The current Sunderland squad under Chris Coleman is struggling at the bottom end of the EFL Championship. With John O’shea, Tyias Browning and Marc Wilson as the primary choices in the centre-back role, Kone will have to fight for his place in the lineup.
Sunderland needs all the help they can get currently stranded at the bottom of the Championship. All of Chris Coleman’s January targets have failed to materialise and the former Wales manager is scouring the transfer market to sign attacking threats before the end of the month.
A second relegation in a successive season and a steep drop to the lower divisions is not something any fan would like to witness and it looks like the Black Cats are headed towards the doomed path. With a lack of resources to successfully sign proven talents, Coleman has had to work around the very limited resources he has been provided.
The former Wales manager’s appointment has seen the side improve on the defensive end and has come away with a few scrappy wins to still be in the survival battle. They managed a 1-0 win against relegation rivals Hull City last Saturday and the team has climbed out of the bottom spot ahead of Birmingham City and Burton Albion.
Kone can be fielded in the back three alongside John O’Shea and Tyias Browning. Jake Clarke-Salter is a bright prospect but stills need time to develop into first-team football. With the Ivory international now making a comeback, Coleman can allocate all his resources towards an offensive addition. Tom Bradshaw’s signing will definitely bolster the squad ranks but can only be achieved by belting out a significant cash offer.
