Sunderland duo's transfer situations become clearer after Portsmouth absence | OneFootball

Black Cats boss Regis Le Bris has revealed that uncertainty over Deadline Day moves was the reason behind two players being absent at Fratton Park.

Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris has confirmed that Adil Aouchiche and Abdoullah Ba were absent from the Black Cats' squad that beat Portsmouth 3-1 on Saturday because it was a "possibility" that they could've left the club on transfer Deadline Day.

As reported by The Northern Echo, the Sunderland boss decided he did not want the pair to travel down to Fratton Park with the rest of the squad at the weekend, believing it was best for them to stay at home as the final hours of the window ticked by.

Aouchiche looked set to leave the Black Cats after just one season on Wearside, and after being omitted from the matchday squad that beat Burnley 1-0 prior to their Pompey trip, it was reported that a return to France could be on the cards.

For fellow Frenchman, Ba, Le Bris had admitted in the days leading up to the transfer deadline that his departure was a possibility, along with Aouchiche's.

As it happened, moves for both players failed to materialise this summer, with the Black Cats boss not shutting the door on a potential return to first team action for either of them.

Le Bris explains Aouchiche, Ba absences from Pompey win

Le Bris has enjoyed an excellent start to his Sunderland tenure, with the club's comfortable victory over Portsmouth at the weekend making it four wins from four in the Championship.

Aouchiche and Ba are two players who have yet to find a role under the new head coach, but the Black Cat's boss' words after the three points were secured at Fratton Park should provide them with the belief that they still can.

Speaking in an interview via The Northern Echo, Le Bris said: "Yes it's still possible (for them to have roles to play). We have three or four months until the next transfer window. They'll work with us and it's still possible to play in the team."

Detailing why the pair didn't travel with the squad to Portsmouth at the weekend, Sunderland's head coach said: "It was a possibility (they could leave) so we decided to leave them in Sunderland. They will come back in to training next week."

Duo face uphill battle to regain starting Sunderland roles

Sunderland enjoyed a strong summer of recruitment - aside from losing Jack Clarke - that has seen the club add strength in depth to their attacking options.

Beefing up their options in the middle of the park, Milan Aleksic, Salis Abdul Samed and Alan Browne all look set to play big roles in Le Bris' side this season.

Whilst on the flanks, Wilson Isidor and Ian Poveda add further attacking quality alongside the likes of Patrick Roberts and Romaine Mundle.

The early season form of teenage striker Eliezer Mayenda will be of huge relief to Sunderland too, as the club lacked the presence of a goalscoring number nine last term.

All of these factors paint a far from obvious picture as to how both Ba and Aouchiche will be able to wrestle back their places in the starting lineup, as the Sunderland boss will surely not be tampering with the winning formula he appears to have found.

With the increased presence of quality options in their respective midfield and attacking positions, the French pair appear to have been pushed firmly to the fringes of the squad.

Typically, cup competitions are an ideal vessel for staking a claim to be in the starting lineup for those on the outside looking in, but now that Sunderland are out of the Carabao Cup, it's going to be a long wait until January when the Black Cats enter the FA Cup third round.

Therefore, should Sunderland continue their early season form when the Championship resumes after the international break, opportunities to impress will continue to be scarce for Aouchiche and Ba, but they will now have to wait until the winter window to seek their next chance to escape out the exit door.