Bailey Wright could be missing for a while with injury but Phil Parkinson says he has full trust in Alim Ozturk.
Phil Parkinson has admitted that Alim Ozturk has been ‘unlucky’ to lose his place at the heart of Sunderland’s backline in recent weeks, speaking to the Sunderland Echo.
A former Turkey U21 international who moved to the Stadium of Light on a free transfer from Hearts in the summer of 2018, Ozturk was playing some of his best football in the red and white kit up until the final few days of the January transfer window.
But the arrival of Bailey Wright from Preston North End saw the 27-year-old lose his place. Ozturk didn’t feature for four straight League One games, before coming off the bench for the final six minutes of Saturday’s fortunate 1-0 win against promotion rivals Oxford United.
An injury to the impressive Wright has opened the door for the former Cambuur man to re-establish himself, however, and Parkinson insists that Ozturk has his backing.
“Alim was unlucky to have been out of the team,” the 51-year-old said.
“Alim has a great personality, he is a good lad, even though he has been out of the team, he has trained well. If Bailey is out for a period then Alim comes in and I have no problems with that at all.”
Ozturk had a reputation for being rather erratic during his spell in Scotland but the Turk looked an assured presence in Sunderland’s backline since the turn of the year, the Black Cats conceding just three goals in seven games with him in the starting XI.
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