Chris Rigg: Sunderland gem to start ahead of Habib Diarra after Brighton concern
Chris Rigg could be in line for a second consecutive start for Sunderland ahead of their trip to face Newcastle.
Minutes have been limited for Rigg in the Premier League, with several players ahead of him in the pecking order in midfield and in the wide areas.
However, the injury crisis that has ensued at the Stadium of Light has forced the 18-year-old back into Regis Le Bris’ thinking, and that is likely to be the case against Newcastle.
Rigg fared well despite Sunderland’s latest defeat to Brighton, though the same cannot be said about Habib Diarra, as showcased by his Sofascore graphic below, with the latter potentially set to be dropped to the bench.
Stats from Brighton defeat showcase why Chris Rigg could start vs Newcastle
It wasn’t the perfect display from Rigg against Brighton, but when taking into account his lack of gametime as well as the fact he was playing out of position, it was a pleasing one.
The teenager thought he had scored his first Premier League goal for the Black Cats, only for VAR to rule it out due to an offside in the build-up from Omjar Alderete.
That was a blow for the youngster, but he can still take plenty of positives from his display, especially when compared to that of Diarra.
Rigg completed 22 passes to the 18 that Diarra managed, but the biggest differences come from the other aspects of his play.
As showcased by the Sofascore graphic below, Diarra failed to complete his only attempted dribble against Brighton, while Rigg completed two of his four.
Added to that, Rigg made three defensive contributions compared to Diarra’s zero, showcasing his willingness to put in the work off the ball.
Diarra absence could hinge on return of key player
If Diarra is to be dropped, which would be warranted, there needs to be a replacement.
But with Jocelin Ta Bi, Bertrand Traore and Enzo Le Fee having missed the latest defeat, Le Bris had very few options.
There is hope that the latter could return to the squad this weekend, and if so, that would give Sunderland the license to bring him back into the midfield in place of Diarra, who could have a much bigger impact off the bench.
Either way, Le Bris will need to see a huge improvement in the final third from his players if they are to get anything this Sunday.
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