Three Sunderland players who may have already played final games for club, including ‘talented’ winger

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Sunderland are heading into the Championship play-offs next month, but three of their current squad may have played their final games for the club already.

Sunderland have booked their place in the Championship play-offs weeks in advance, and will be looking at results in this weekend’s fixtures to see who they will face in the semi-final.

Regis Le Bris’ side have been in worrying form since their spot was confirmed, suffering four defeats on the spin, the latest coming in the 2-0 defeat at Oxford United in which the boss’ selection claims backfired.

Some supporters have claimed that their recent slump coincides with one coach’s departure.

Given their litany of top second tier talents, including Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg, the Black Cats risk losing many stars if they fail to earn promotion back to the Premier League.

However, three other members of the current squad may have already featured for the final time in red-and-white.

• READ MORE: ‘Jobe Bellingham replacement’ set for crunch talks with boss over future

Three Sunderland players could’ve played final games for club

Tommy Watson

Earlier this month, Sunderland announced academy graduate Tommy Watson will transfer to Premier League Brighton this summer in a £10 million deal, after the Seagulls had multiple bids knocked back for the 19-year-old in the January window.

Watson’s decision to depart mid-season, during his boyhood club’s battle for promotion, has turned the supporters sour against the youngster with many fans labelling his attitude and displays “horrendous” since his transfer was made public. One Sunderland icon surprisingly labelled those paying fans as “brainless” over their booing of Watson.

Le Bris said ahead of the Oxford game that the starting eleven he selected was “Sunderland’s best possible” line-up, one which left-winger Watson was dropped from after starting in the 1-0 defeat to Blackburn Rovers.

Brighton-bound Watson is Sunderland’s second-choice left-winger, with Romaine Mundle Le Bris’ preferred option, and the former Spurs youngster “should be ok” to return from the sidelines for the play-offs, according to the head coach when he addressed the press earlier this month.

Via the Sunderland Echo, Le Bris has also said of Roma loanee Enzo Le Fee – who started at left-wing against Oxford – that: “Enzo understands, absolutely, It might be his position for the play-offs,”.

Le Bris’ comments coinciding with Watson’s concerning application, means the academy graduate could be kept on the bench by the Frenchman until the season curtails, and the 2-goal winger heads south.

• READ MORE: Jobe Bellingham reacts after winning prestigious EFL award at Sunderland

Ian Poveda

Former Leeds United winger Ian Poveda has proven to be a disastrous acquisition for the Black Cats.

25-year-old Poveda joined Sunderland on a free transfer last summer, to offer rotation and competition to first-choice right-winger Patrick Roberts. However, his signing has been an unmitigated failure, from the Black Cats hierarchy’s perspective and for Poveda himself.

Poveda has made zero starts under Le Bris in the Championship this season, coming off the bench in six games, failing to register any goal contributions in just 81 minutes of red-and-white action.

Last month, Le Bris said of injury-stricken Poveda: “I don’t know exactly what the time to return is… probably three or four weeks, maybe more.

“Yes, it is [frustrating] because we know that he’s talented as a winger with the ability to dribble and create something out of nothing.”

According to capology.com, Poveda’s weekly wages at Sunderland amount to £9,000, seeing the winger earn an estimated £351,000 since his arrival while failing to start a game in that time.

After returning from injury, Poveda was absent from Sunderland’s squad in their 2-0 win over Luton Town in February, but not for fitness-related issues.

Le Bris revealed at the time: “Ian wasn’t available for selection. Ian isn’t injured. He wasn’t available for selection for internal reasons.”, as it was understood Poveda arrived late for a team meeting before the clash amidst their fight for promotion.

If there are any takers, the Black Cats must get rid of Poveda this summer and put an end to his disastrous short stint at Sunderland.

With Poveda’s latest injury keeping him sidelined until early May, if the club decide to cut their losses in the summer, he could’ve almost certainly played his last in red-and-white.

Joe Anderson

Fringe Sunderland figure Joe Anderson made his first league start for Sunderland against Blackburn Rovers, 811 days after signing for the Black Cats.

The central-defender featured 30 times on loan at League One Shrewsbury Town last season but has failed to make any impact on Le Bris’ first-team selection at Sunderland.

At left-back against Valerien Ismael’s side, Anderson did offer a stellar showing on an extremely rare Sunderland start. The 24-year-old had 84 touches, made 14 passes into the final third, won three out of six duels and had a 100% crossing accuracy (3/3).

However, his cameo will not be enough to convince Le Bris to start Anderson again – an unused substitute a week later at Oxford – who will find minutes even harder to come by with left-back Dennis Cirkin’s impending return from injury.

Sunderland signed Anderson for an undisclosed fee in January 2023, on a 42-month deal, and his current Black Cats deal is set to expire next summer with no sign of an extension.

Anderson will be very unlikely to feature during the season-defining play-off campaign, in which Sunderland have a torrid record in, and his departure from Wearside this summer seems inevitable.

The Black Cats host Queens Park Rangers this weekend in their final day fixture before the play-offs.