Regis Le Bris’ update on Dan Neil gives forgotten Sunderland man shot to prove he isn’t a flop vs Bristol City

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Sunderland boss set to rest skipper Dan Neil over the Easter weekend with lacklustre summer signing waiting in the wings.

Sunderland are set to visit Bristol City on Good Friday, with Regis Le Bris’ side already guaranteed a Championship play-off place.

Bristol City, however, have everything to play for to secure one of the two top-six spots below Sunderland with Liam Manning’s side desperate for points.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
4	SunderlandSunderland	42	21	13	8	57	38	19	76
5	Bristol CityBristol City	42	16	16	10	54	45	9	64

With the Black Cats’ regular season on the back burner now, Le Bris will offer his first-team a rest before the play-off campaign, which offers one forgotten Sunderland man a chance to prove his summer signing worthy.

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Regis Le Bris to rest Sunderland skipper Dan Neil over Easter weekend

Sunderland skipper Dan Neil has been a mainstay in Le Bris’ side this season, starting all but one of the Black Cats’ Championship clashes this term, developing into one of the league’s best ‘number 6s’.

Fellow midfield talents Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg have been regulars, but both have been handed rests across the last month, with Neil continuing to feature despite Sunderland already securing a spot in the play-offs.

Academy graduate Neil has been in stellar form, but will finally get an opportunity to recharge his batteries before the play-off campaign, with the 23-year-old set to sit out either Good Friday’s visit to the Robins or the Easter Monday home clash against Blackburn Rovers.

Via the Northern Echo, Le Bris said: “I hope we can do that (rest Neil). But then, if it is possible to give them one game rest when you have two games in such a short space of time, then that would be better.

“The problem we have is that, in different positions, that is not easy. With the centre-backs at the minute, for example, it is really difficult, and it is the same at full-back as well.

“If it is possible, I think it is important to let the players have one game a week because that keeps them in the right rhythm.

“For Dan, I think it will be possible because now Salis (Abdul Samed) is back and Enzo (Le Fee) should be ready to start a game, so we should have enough options to be able to do that this week.”

Le Bris has implied he will rest key players against the Robins, which will be a “really difficult” test for Sunderland, especially with his intent to rest key stars ahead of the play-offs during the inconsequential league fixtures.

As Le Bris has eluded to ahead of the Bristol City clash, summer loan signing Salis Abdul Samed’s return from the sidelines has offered the opportunity to rest, and has also given the holding-midfielder a chance to prove his Black Cats stint has been worth Sunderland’s salt.

• READ MORE: Sunderland star handed major transfer update as ‘clubs enquire’ for midfielder

Salis Abdul Samed can prove he isn’t a Sunderland flop

Samed arrived on loan from Ligue 1 outfit RC Lens this summer with lofty expectations. Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman said upon his arrival last summer:  “He’s a defensive midfielder player, who is disciplined in and out of possession.

“He is a different profile within our midfield, and we believe he will relish the battles that come with playing in a league like the Sky Bet Championship. Salis’ experiences in Ligue 1 and the UEFA Champions League will stand him in good stead,”

Last season, Ghanaian international Samed had featured six times in the Champions League for Lens and featured 27 times in the French top flight.

His European pedigree and Ligue 1 experience set to boss the Championship had some Sunderland fans believing he would dislodge Neil from the starting XI, but his Black Cats season couldn’t have materialised any further from that.

‘It’s the hope that kills’ is a phrase often used in football, and that certainly applies to the holding-midfielder who arrived on with such high expectations, but has spent more time on the injury table than the Stadium of Light turf.

25-year-old Samed has made just two starts in the Championship this season, after arriving on Wearside whilst completing his recovery from a muscle injury, which has consistently hampered his Wearside stint.

Samed has missed 234 days for Sunderland this season during their battle for promotion, playing less than two total games of football with 174 minutes on the field, thus forcing fans to ponder whether his signing was ever worth it.

His physical profile and defensive-minded approach would’ve been a brilliant component in Le Bris’ squad, able to stem the side against attacks Sunderland faced, and offer Neil a chance to rest or play as one of the advanced midfield roles.

However, if the now fully-fit combative midfielder can finally play a major role in Sunderland’s Premier League push, his lack of availability could be forgiven with a decisive impact during the final hurdles.