REGIS LE BRIS admits there is still a “large gap” between the core members of his Sunderland squad and the younger players who are struggling to get regular game time.

The Black Cats’ winless run extended to six games as they lost at Sheffield United on Friday night, but while his side played for more than 45 minutes with ten men after the first-half dismissal of Chris Mepham, Le Bris still waited until the 77th minute before making the first of his four changes.

Eliezer Mayenda started the season in the starting line-up, but the 19-year-old has only made one start since mid-September and has been something of a fringe performer since returning from injury.

Milan Aleksic, who was an unused substitute at Bramall Lane, has had even less senior involvement, making just one brief substitute appearance since his summer move from Serbia, while Nazariy Rusyn has been similarly underused this season, with his last senior outing coming at the start of October.

Le Bris remains confident some of his fringe performers will develop into more integral members of his squad, but remains reluctant to ask too much of them at the moment given their lack of experience.

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“We have many young players, and as I have been saying on a number of occasions, we have young players who are talented, but who need minutes and experiences,” said the Sunderland boss, whose side return to action on Saturday with a home game against Stoke City.

“The (gap) between the core and these young players, who need experiences, is quite large. I am sure they will be good players in the future – maybe three months, maybe six months, we don’t know.

“This is our identity, and we have to take that into account. For the coaches and the players, yes we can be frustrated about some elements, but we have to manage it effectively.”