Sunderland will consider allowing fit-again Arbenit Xhemajli out on loan this month - provided it does not leave them short of defensive cover.
Xhemajli spent a year on the sidelines after suffering a serious knee ligament injury in October 2020, but has been gradually eased back into action with the club's U23 side before progressing to a first-team game in the EFL Trophy last month, and then this month he has been an unused sub in the league.
Boss Lee Johnson knows Xhemajli needs to play regular first-team games to get fully up-to-speed and a loan would allow him to do that, but he is also conscious that Sunderland must not leave themselves light on numbers in defence while the versatile Luke O'Nien is still working his way back towards fitness, and having allowed youngster Ollie Younger to join Doncaster Rovers this week.
"Arby is one that we have to consider, in terms of what the right path is for him," said Johnson.
"We've seen him play in U23 games, he did OK the other day although he maybe could have done better for the headed goal that Middlesbrough scored, but in training I am really happy for him because he is not thinking about his knee now.
"He's skipping across the ground a lot better, his hips look a lot better, his accelerations and decelerations look better.
"At the same time, we have got Callum Doyle in that position at the moment and he's doing really well and performing consistently to a high quality week-in, week-out.
"I think he [Xhemajli] would be considered for a loan.
"Nothing is off the table for Arby because of that history and because of his desire to play games, but at the same time we have to be covered and with Ollie gone, we're not covered if we get an injury.
"Before, when we had Luke O'Nien fit, you could pencil Luke in as the fourth centre-half, even though he was going to play the majority of his games in midfield.
"Again, everything is fluid to the extent that we have to protect number one to ensure we get results."
Aside from Doyle, Sunderland also have Tom Flanagan and new signing Danny Batth competing for places in central defence.
Bailey Wright has also played the majority of his games at Sunderland at the heart of defence, although more recently he has been operating at right-back.
Xhemajli joined Sunderland in September 2020 and is out of contract this summer. The 23-year-old's injury has restricted him to just two first-team appearances so far, one soon after he joined and the other last month, both in the EFL Trophy.
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