Sunderland AFC: Jobe Bellingham fallout could signpost one man's January exit | OneFootball

The midfielder was absent from the match day squad in the wake of Jobe Bellingham's suspension.

Regis Le Bris' team selection against Preston North End revealed much about whom the Frenchman fancies at Sunderland.

With Jobe Bellingham missing through suspension, the central attacking-midfield position was handed to Chris Rigg, which came as no surprise to Black Cats supporters.

While the manager made several changes to his starting XI, there was one man missing entirely from the matchday squad. His absence must surely signal that a January exit is on the horizon.

Changes were always going to be in the offing for the Wearsiders' trip to Deepdale given Bellingham's three-game suspension. However, Le Bris made several surprising selection calls that caught many off guard.

The Frenchman opted to rotate Romaine Mundle and Patrick Roberts, who have been his preferred options on either wing. Aaron Connolly and Tommy Watson were handed their full debuts and made up two-thirds of Sunderland's front three.

It was the first time that Mundle had not started for the Black Cats since Jack Clarke's departure. Despite his early season impact, the 21-year-old was perhaps due a rest after a hectic run of fixtures.

While it was obvious that Rigg was going to step in for Bellingham, there would have been several squad players hoping for a rare opportunity. One of those players is Aouchiche, whose natural position is in central attacking midfield.

However, the 22-year-old did not even feature in the matchday squad, with academy product Harrison Jones securing a place on the bench.

Whether there is an issue with his work ethic or attitude remains to be seen, but on this evidence, Aouchiche's exit feels inevitable.

Since his arrival from FC Lorient, Aouchiche has always been a squad player, but the midfielder did make 28 Championship appearances last season.

The arrival of Le Bris may be the reason that the 22-year-old is short of game time. The Black Cats boss managed him for a season in Ligue 1, with Aouchiche making 11 league appearances, spanning just 241 minutes.

Of course, the form of Bellingham has meant that opportunities in the advanced role have been sparse. Nevertheless, Aouchiche has only featured for 12 minutes in the league all season.

The 22-year-old will certainly feel frustration watching the likes of Watson given more playing time and may feel his chance will never come.

Le Bris insisted that Aouchiche and Abdoullah Ba could still have a part to play for the Black Cats when speaking to the Northern Echo a couple of weeks ago.

He said: "I don't forget any player, every player can be important when the season is so long. If any player works well, is connected with the team, with the game model and with the project, he can play for sure."

Given that the midfielder has not featured since those words, it suggests that Aouchiche is not connected with the project and is deemed surplus to requirements.

A January move makes sense and is surely best for both parties as the 22-year-old needs to play first-team football.

In the wake of Bellingham's suspension, two players were handed rare opportunities in a side that has rarely been changed under Le Bris.

Given Sunderland's frantic run of games, Aouchiche would have been hoping for an opportunity, but he has fallen down the pecking order on Wearside.