Sunderland: Mowbray must unleash his teenage "animal"
Sunderland return to action after the international break in the Championship this afternoon as they travel to Loftus Road to take on Queens Park Rangers.
What was Sunderland's last result?
The Black Cats head into today's game off the back of an emphatic 5-0 win against recently relegated Southampton at the Stadium of Light.
Tony Mowbray's outfit swept the Saints aside with relative ease as they produced a phenomenal and clinical performance on Wearside to secure all three points in style.
Jack Clarke opened the scoring with a well-timed run and header within the opening minute of the match and a double from midfielder Pierre Ekwah, with both goals coming from distance, put the team 3-0 up at half-time.
Bradley Dack pounced from close range and Chris Rigg headed past Gavin Bazunu to finish off the scoring during the second 45 to wrap up the 5-0 victory over Russell Martin's Southampton.
That result left Sunderland ninth in the Championship table after two wins, one draw, and two defeats from their first five matches of the campaign.
What's the latest Sunderland team news?
Mason Burstow and Adil Aouchiche are both available for selection after their deadline day moves to the club, although it remains to be seen if Nazariy Rusyn's visa has arrived in time for him to feature.
Aji Alese and Eliezer Mayenda are both back out on the grass but Mowbray has confirmed that they will not be in contention to play this weekend, whilst Jay Matete and Corry Evans are both set to be out until the festive period as they continue to recover from long-term injuries.
The absences in the midfield area of the pitch could open up the door for 16-year-old talent Chris Rigg to gain more first-team experience and the head coach should unleash him from the start today.
Will Chris Rigg start against QPR?
Mowbray should bring the teenage sensation in for his first-ever Championship start as a reward for his excellent performances so far this season.
Rigg was afforded the chance to start a first-team match for the first time in his career last month as the ex-Blackburn Rovers manager selected him in the starting XI for the EFL Cup clash with Crewe.
Sunderland ultimately lost on penalties to the League Two outfit but that should not be a slight on the 16-year-old dynamo as his display in the middle of the park was superb.
The England youth international produced a fantastic all-round performance in midfield as he showcased his qualities in and out of possession for the Black Cats, despite his young age.
As per Sofascore, Rigg won 60% (6/10) of his duels and made two tackles to go along with one clearance. He also completed both of his attempted dribbles and 91% of his attempted passes, two of which resulted in chances being created for his teammates.
The talented ace, who scored Sunderland's equaliser to send the game to penalties, was handed a Sofascore rating of 8.2 for his display, which was the second-highest score on the pitch behind Alex Pritchard's 9.0 rating.
Mowbray rewarded the excellent youngster with a cameo off the bench against Southampton last time out and the 16-year-old hotshot made the most of his opportunity with a fantastic leap and header to find the bottom corner after some superb wing play from Jewison Bennette on the left flank.
Rigg recorded a Sofascore rating of 7.3 for his eight-minute goalscoring showing against the Saints and these statistics show that the versatile gem, who can play in a variety of midfield roles or out wide on the right, has the potential to offer a big attacking threat for the club.
The former England U16 captain could also provide a creative presence in the middle of the park as he has registered four assists in 15 U18 matches for the Black Cats to date.
He showed glimpses of his creativity with his aforementioned two key passes against Crewe and this suggests that the academy graduate could be an exciting player for supporters to watch against QPR this afternoon, as he has the ability to score and assist goals.
Who could Rigg replace?
Mowbray could bring Rigg in to replace French dynamo Abdoullah Ba, who started on the right of the attacking midfield trident against Southampton, today.
However, this is not a necessary change borne out of poor performances from the 20-year-old ace. In fact, the former Le Havre prospect registered an assist against the Saints and has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.97 across four Championship appearances this term.
Rigg, on the other hand, has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.75 across his two first-team outings in all competitions this term and has scored two goals to go along with two chances created.
Whereas, Ba has failed to score a single goal and has provided his teammates with five key passes in five games in all competitions for the Black Cats.
These statistics suggest that they both offer a similar level of creativity but Rigg's average performance level and goalscoring threat could be greater than the French ace's if Mowbray offers him the chance to play regular senior football over the weeks and months to come.
Rigg, who Mowbray once hailed as an "animal" with a "wonderful" left foot, has taken his opportunities so far this season and now deserves to be rewarded with the next step in his development – a senior league start.
The exceptional teenager excelled against Crewe in the EFL Cup after being named in the starting XI and grasped his chance to find the back of the net off the bench against Southampton earlier this month, which shows that he has the ability and physicality to compete at first-team level in spite of his age.
Therefore, the Black Cats head coach must now see whether or not the English whiz has what it takes to deliver consistent quality over the course of an entire Championship match, starting today against QPR at Loftus Road.
So it is time for Ba to move over to the bench, or another position in the attack, for this clash in order to provide Rigg with the chance for him to prove himself after some impressive displays so far this season.