Sunderland youngsters could impress Régis Le Bris in York City opener | OneFootball

Sunderland’s pre-season opener at York City could give Régis Le Bris an early look at academy talent. The LNER Community Stadium trip should bring openings as players return at varying fitness levels.

According to Sunderland Echo, these fixtures typically feature heavy rotation, managing senior workloads and handing youngsters minutes, with the result secondary. More instructive will be who travels and who earns meaningful time alongside established professionals.

Jenson Jones, 19, has spent time with Le Bris’s group, can play full-back or midfield, featured in the Carabao Cup and made a Premier League bench. His versatility could help while conditioning builds.

Goalkeeper Joe Cowan, 16, is highly regarded and could gain valuable exposure. Early friendlies often let young keepers join the matchday group, even to travel and warm up, which would mark another step in his development.

Midfielder Jaydon Jones, 19, can operate as a six or an eight. Breaking through will be difficult amid Granit Xhaka, Noah Sadiki, Habib Diarra and Enzo Le Fée, though pre-season tests whether academy midfielders can handle the senior tempo.

In attack, Trey Ogunsuyi, 19, advanced on loans at Falkirk and Shrewsbury and can play centrally or from the right. Finn Geragusian, 18, offers height, power and technique, while Jack Whittaker, 19, hit 11 goals and four assists for the under-21s and made a Premier League bench.

Others in contention include Archie Lightfoot, Charlie Dinsdale and keepers Ben Metcalf and Isaac Allan. Timur Tuterov’s status unclear. Not all will feature, but minutes could be revealing.

Source: Sunderland Echo