Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has admitted he is unsure about recalling Amad Diallo from his loan spell at Sunderland, hinting the winger could remain at the Stadium of Light until the end of the season. The 20-year-old has impressed in the Championship, scoring six goals in his last 11 appearances for the Black Cats, who are chasing a play-off place.
Speculation over a potential recall arose following Cristiano Ronaldo's departure in November and United's lack of depth in forward areas. Jadon Sancho has returned to training but has not featured since before the World Cup, while Anthony Martial is the only recognised striker in the squad. However, Ten Hag expressed reservations about disrupting Diallo's progress.
“We consider everything, but I have a little bit of reservation about that because I don’t want to stop the process,” Ten Hag said. “He's made really good progress there so I’m happy with that. When we decide for him to come back, he has to be a player who can compete for the starting line-up or come on for a lot of games and make an impact.”
Meanwhile, Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray faces a potential reshuffle after Everton recalled Ellis Simms from his loan, leaving the Black Cats short of strikers. Ross Stewart is now the only fit senior forward, and Diallo may be deployed in a more central role to accommodate both him and Patrick Roberts in the same team.
“I've said before that I have to find a way of getting these two players on the pitch,” Mowbray said after Sunderland's win at Wigan. “It was harsh on him [Roberts] and when he plays with Amad, it's quite amazing to watch really.”
