NIALL Huggins won't be available to return for Sunderland until early next year but Regis Le Bris says he doesn't need to sign a right-back, despite the possible exits of Timothee Pembele and Zak Johnson this month.

Huggins hasn't played for Sunderland since suffering a serious knee injury in the home defeat to Coventry last December.

It was a huge blow for the talented full-back, who looked like he'd put two years of injury misery behind him and had been one of Sunderland's brightest players in the first half of last season.

With Huggins absent and Pembele not part of Le Bris' immediate plans, Trai Hume is Sunderland's only natural right-back but the head coach doesn't feel the need to strengthen that area of the pitch ahead of next week's transfer deadline.

"At the moment we don't have a replacement for Hume but we can find many solutions," said Le Bris.

"We can play with three centre-backs for example or different in and out of possession. We could play with only one player on the side, so it could be a winger, for example.

"Maybe at the minute we don't have a specific right back but we can move our way to play to solve that problem. It's not a real problem for me at the minute."

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Pembele hasn't been in the matchday squad for the first two Championship games of the season and was also missing at Preston despite Le Bris making 11 changes and giving fringe players a chance to impress in the Carabao Cup. Le Bris has confirmed Sunderland are keen for Pembele to go out on loan, with efforts to find a suitable move ongoing.

Johnson played right-back at Preston but the teenager is a centre-half and, with competition for places fierce in that area of the pitch, Le Bris confirmed a loan move might also be the best course of action for the 19-year-old, who had stints at Hartlepool and Dundalk last season.

Despite Huggins' return still being a long way off, Le Bris is trying to make sure the 23-year-old still feels part of the first team fold.

He said: "I think he won't be available until January.

"We make sure he stays linked with the team to understand how we want to play and the experiences we have during the games and the way we solve problems. They're always involved in every session around the pitch."