REGIS LE BRIS continues to insist he has "no worries" over Tommy Watson and has hinted the departing winger will get some game time before the end of the season.
Watson was an unused substitute at West Brom on Saturday, even though left winger Romaine Mundle suffered a hamstring injury that forced him off in the first half.
Mundle's latest injury setback could be season-ending, but having turned to Eliezer Mayenda from the bench at the Hawthorns, Le Bris is expected to promote the Spaniard, rather than Watson, to the starting line-up when Sunderland face Norwich City tomorrow.
Watson is heading to Brighton in the summer after turning down a series of offers of a new deal with Sunderland, but Le Bris continues to insist the academy product remains available for selection.
“At the weekend, it was a decision purely connected with the game,” said Le Bris. “That was the dynamic, and the choice we had to make as a coach and a staff.
“Tommy is available and connected with the team. He is a Sunderland player and is motivated to be promoted at the end of the season.
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"I have no worries over him and, for the next stage of the season, Tommy will be a Sunderland player to the end. I am really confident about using him as a left winger, a right winger or even in other positions until the end of the season.”
With Sheffield United and Leeds United both failing to win at the weekend, Sunderland have closed to within eight points of the automatic promotion spots ahead of tomorrow's trip to Carrow Road.
However, with just six more games to play, finishing in the top two remains a long shot.
A place in the play-offs is much more likely, and Sunderland will mathematically guarantee themselves a top-six finish if they beat Norwich tomorrow night.
They will also be hoping to maintain the momentum generated by back-to-back wins over Millwall and West Brom, although once a play-off place is confirmed, Le Bris has hinted he could opt to rotate in order to give some of his younger players some game time.
“The core of the group is still small, but we are in a very good place and we can manage to rotate a little bit more now,” he said.
“We can manage that rotation and maybe give some experiences to some of the young players. Maybe it is possible to rotate the squad a little bit more.”
