View: Graeme Murty decisions provide potential Sunderland v Millwall selection hints

Adil Aouchiche, Abdoullah Ba and Harrison Jones were all absent from the Sunderland Under-21 side to face Tamworth on Tuesday night.

With several first-team players set to miss the Black Cats' encounter with Millwall, questions have been asked as to who may feature instead and Murty may have provided a hint.

Aouchcihe, Ba and Jones have all featured for the Under-21 side in recent weeks but their absence from the lineup on 19 November suggests some form of involvement against Millwall at the weekend.

With Patrick Roberts suspended, Ba may be the one to take his place while Aouchiche and Jones could be utilised in the absence of Jobe Bellingham and Alan Browne.

Where does the future lie for the French duo at Sunderland?

Aouchiche and Ba are two players who at times, have showcased immense technical ability while lacking in other areas.

The latter is perhaps the reason why they haven't featured under Regis Le Bris this season although that may change against Millwall.

Both players featured fairly regularly last campaign which ultimately ended in disappointment. Ba in particular had a decent enough season, registering three goals and four assists but found himself completely frozen out when the summer arrived.

Nonetheless, any significant future on Wearside looks bleak for the duo who are yet to make a single league appearance for the Championship league leaders in the current campaign.

Only on a handful of occasions have either of the two even been featured on the bench, demonstrating Le Bris' outlook on the situation.

If Sunderland can find potential suitors, it is highly likely that the pair could depart the Stadium of Light in January.

In other Sunderland news, Neil Harris has made a ‘huge’ admission on the Black Cats.

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