Regis Le Bris issues update on Ian Poveda's situation ahead of Sunderland v Sheffield Wednesday | OneFootball

Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris has provided an update on Ian Poveda ahead of the game against Sheffield Wednesday.

Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris has confirmed that Ian Poveda has trained this week, although it remains unclear whether the winger will make his debut against former club Sheffield Wednesday this weekend.

The Black Cats have made several additions to the squad so far this summer, with Poveda joining on a free transfer after his contract with Leeds United expired.

However, the Colombian international had been dealing with a muscle injury which he picked up during his time with Wednesday on loan last season, with his last appearance coming in April.

Therefore, Poveda is behind the rest of his teammates in terms of his pre-season preparations, but Le Bris gave a positive update on the player when speaking to the club’s media today.

“Ian Poveda has trained this week with the group. He isn't far away. We need to build strong foundations with him for the full season.”

Patience will be required with Ian Poveda

Poveda was an exciting signing for Sunderland, as he has done well at this level in the past, and he did impress with the Owls before injury hit.

But, he is a long-term addition, so when Le Bris talks about building ‘strong foundations’ with the player, it’s the correct approach to take.

We often hear players talk about the importance of pre-season, and Poveda has missed out on a chunk of that.

The Championship is a demanding, intense league, and Sunderland will want to prepare the players to deal with that, so if it takes him a few more weeks to get up to speed, it is something that should pay off next year.

Plus, with Jack Clarke still at the club and performing well, along with Patrick Roberts, Le Bris isn’t short of attacking options out wide, but it would still be nice to add Poveda to the ranks.

From Poveda’s perspective, he would love to feature against Wednesday, and it can’t be ruled out that he will be on the bench, but he will know that he is not yet in his best physical condition.

Ian Poveda can make a difference for Sunderland

When he is fully fit, the ex-Man City youngster will be able to contribute to this side, and his style of play should be ideally suited to the way Sunderland want to play.

They are a team that will look to keep possession, get the ball out wide, and we’ve seen the likes of Clarke, Roberts and Amad Diallo all flourish in recent years.

Of course, there’s a change in management now, but Le Bris has been appointed to build on the work that Tony Mowbray did, and he will adopt a similar setup where the wide attackers are key.

Sunderland’s summer transfer plans

On the whole, it has been a somewhat quiet window for Sunderland, who remain on the lookout for a new striker, which is the priority signing - and has been for some time.

Whilst it’s far from ideal that they’ve yet to finalise a number nine, they have managed to retain the brilliant Clarke, and keeping him will be key if they are to mount a promotion push.