Sunderland's key issues ahead of the start of new Championship season

But both on and off the pitch, there are plenty of key issues that Kristjaan Speakman and Tony Mowbray still have to resolve over the course of the next few weeks…

THE JACK CLARKE SITUATION

Burnley want to buy Jack Clarke, but aren’t willing to match Sunderland’s valuation of around £15m for the winger. Sunderland are willing to allow Clarke to leave if their asking price is met, but are adamant they won’t be backed into a corner if Burnley continue to submit lower offers. And somewhere in the middle is Clarke, preparing for the new season, but no doubt with his head in a whirl as his future remains unclear.

Sunderland winger Jack Clarke (Image: Jack Clarke)

The current situation isn’t really helping anyone, although it is hardly Sunderland’s fault if Burnley continue to table bids they know are going to be rejected. This week’s offer, which is understood to have involved an initial payment of around £10m plus a series of add-ons, was the fourth which has been turned down this summer.

It is Sunderland’s prerogative to continue to play hardball, and having drawn their line in the sand, Speakman and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus will be understandably determined not to cave in. At some stage, though, the uncertainty needs to end because it will hardly be ideal for Mowbray if he has to plan for the start of the season with Clarke in his side, only for the winger to then move on and leave a sizeable gap that needs filling late in the window.

STRIKER SHORTAGE

Sunderland need at least one new centre-forward. Mowbray knows it, hence why he has repeatedly spoken about “the need for some help up top” throughout pre-season.

However, the situation is complicated by the ongoing uncertainty over Ross Stewart, both in terms of the striker’s fitness and the question of whether he will still be a Sunderland player by the time the transfer window closes at the end of next month.

Ross Stewart scores against Stoke last season (Image: Ian Horrocks)

With contract talks over a new deal having stalled repeatedly over the course of the last year or so, there must be a good chance Stewart will move on this summer. Stoke are long-time admirers, with Southampton also having joined the race in the last week.

If Stewart goes, though, Sunderland’s attacking cupboard will be even barer. Last season proved just how damaging it can be to have insufficient options in the final third, and while Hemir has shown promise following his summer move from Benfica, the reality is that he is a raw 19-year-old with no experience of life in the Championship.

INJURED PLAYERS

Stewart is not the only Sunderland player who will miss the start of the season. Corry Evans and Aji Alese will not feature against Ipswich because of injuries that have carried over since the end of last term, while Dennis Cirkin has also not yet featured during pre-season. All are important performers.

Evans’ experience makes him a vital part of Sunderland’s midfield mix, while Alese’s ability to play at either centre-half or left-back significantly enhances the Black Cats’ defensive options.

Corry Evans is currently sidelined through injury (Image: Ian Horrocks)

The pair will have to be eased back in to ensure they do not suffer an injury recurrence that could rule them out once again, and Mowbray will be keen to improve on a disappointing injury record that saw a host of key players miss out at various stages of last season.

Sunderland need to keep their senior players fit this term – managing existing injuries and ensuring problems do not keep recurring will be a key part of that process.

DEFENSIVE QUESTIONS

At the moment, Sunderland’s attack pretty much picks itself. The same is not necessarily true at the back, where Mowbray has some interesting selection decisions to make ahead of the new campaign.

Are Danny Batth and Dan Ballard still his first-choice centre-halves, and if so, does that mean Batth will be remaining on Wearside despite ongoing interest from Blackburn Rovers? Or does Trai Hume’s excellent form at the end of last season make it impossible not to pick the Northern Irishman at centre-half?

Trai Hume impressed in the latter stages of last season (Image: Ian Horrocks)

Is Hume still more of a right-back? And if so, what does that mean for Lynden Gooch, who continues to plug gaps in a variety of different positions without ever truly making one of them his own? Is Gooch Sunderland’s first-choice left-back, or is that either Alese or Cirkin when they are fit?

Then, there are the new boys to consider. Jenson Seelt hasn’t really been able to settle yet because of an ankle issue, while Nectarios Traintis also returned to pre-season fairly late because of his summer international responsibilities with Australia. When and where will they slot in during the season?

THE NEXT GENERATION

Sunderland have an extremely young squad, but there is already an even younger generation threatening to knock on the door.

Chris Rigg is the most obvious example of a player who could enjoy a breakthrough campaign, with the 16-year-old, who recently signed a new deal and made his first-team debut last season, having performed impressively throughout the pre-season games.

Chris Rigg signed a new deal with Sunderland earlier this summer (Image: Ian Horrocks)

Ellis Taylor has strengthened his case for more regular first-team action this summer, while Jewison Bennette will be desperate to play a prominent role after flitting in and out of the first-team squad during the second half of last season.

Throw in summer signing Jobe Bellingham, who does not turn 18 until late December despite his considerable reputation, and you have a clutch of relatively untried youngsters hoping for a chance to shine.