January signing Joe Anderson could play a part in Sunderland's run-in - and Tony Mowbray has hinted the young defender may be loaned out next season. The 22-year-old joined the Black Cats from Everton and was earmarked as a player brought in as 'one for the future', which explains why he has so far played just five minutes for his new club, coming off the bench in the 1-1 draw at Millwall in early February.
However Mowbray has seen his central defensive options reduced through injury, with Aji Alese already ruled out for the remainder of the season while Dan Ballard this week became the latest victim after he picked up a hamstring injury while on international duty with Northern Ireland which is expected to rule him out for between two and three weeks. That is likely to see Luke O'Nien moved to central defence to partner Danny Batth for Friday's game at Championship leaders Burnley, and Anderson - who is Sunderland's only fit specialist cover - is likely to be included on the bench.
Mowbray is keen to give experience to as many of his young players as possible between now and the end of the season, and that could see Anderson involved - either from the start or from the bench - at some stage in the final eight games. But, longer-term, he has suggested that he could discuss with Anderson the possibility of a loan move next season in order for the youngster to play regular first-team football to prepare him to ultimately play a greater role on Wearside.
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"I want to try and use them [young players] all, potentially, but we have to pick and choose the right games," said Mowbray. "Joe is travelling with us [to Burnley], he's doing really well, he trains really well, he's got good personality.
"For me, he's a young centre-half in the ilk of, at my previous club [Blackburn], Scotty Wharton or Hayden Carter - young defenders that ultimately I sent out on loan to Portsmouth and to Northampton and to Cambridge and they came back and now play in the first team every week because they have had experience. They've gone out, grown some muscles, got a chest, got some tattoos on their arms - they are turning into men, as opposed to the skinny, scrawny, boys they were before we sent them out.
"I'm not saying that's what we will do with Joe but there's a chance that, if we get the recruitment right and everything is OK in pre-season, we'll have that discussion with him. Does he want to go and play 25 games into the New Year and then come back and see where we feel he is at?"
Anderson's brief outing for Sunderland against Millwall was his senior debut. Prior to that, while at Everton, he had played in the EFL Trophy but only as part of the Toffeemen's U21 side.
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