Jobe Bellingham 'looking really good' after international break rest - Tony Mowbray
Jobe Bellingham is set to keep his place in the Sunderland midfield at Plymouth after Tony Mowbray said the international break gave him all the rest he needed.
Bellingham only recently turned 18 but he is one of just three outfield players to start every single Championship game for Sunderland this season.
There have been some concerns about fatigue, though, and Adil Aouchiche would have started ahead of him in the game at Leicester had the Frenchman not picked up an injury.
However, while Jobe normally joins up with the England youth teams during the international breaks, he was allowed to sit this one out, and Sunderland hope to feel the benefit.
"He's had a break in this international window - he didn't go away with the international team and he's looked really good in training the last few days," Mowbray said.
"It's really evident, how sharp the lads were in the first couple of sessions this week. The players who'd been able to take a few days off at the start of the break looked really, really sharp and hopefully we'll see the benefit of that with a fit, athletic mentally bright football team in the weeks coming up."
Jobe Bellingham actually has the distinction of being the teenager to play the most minutes in the Championship this season.
He is also Sunderland’s joint second top scorer this season with three to his name so far.
"Jobe is pretty unique in the age group he plays having played every Championship fixture this year," Mowbray continued.
"We're not talking about a young player with a few appearances off the subs bench here and there, 20 minutes or so. He's playing every match at Championship level and they are coming thick and fast.
"It's right that there's a discussion of the welfare of the player, we felt it was best [that he rests] and I think England felt that it was fair that he missed this one. They can see the minutes he's playing and the level he's playing at, and the benefits of that."
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