Sunderland midfielder Jonny Williams has not started a Championship match since the start of September.
Simon Grayson has admitted to the Chronicle that he wants to play Jonny Williams for Sunderland, but he simply cannot at the moment.
Williams joined Sunderland from Crystal Palace during the summer transfer window, to increase the Black Cats’ creativity.
The Welsh international has looked bright in his first few appearances for Sunderland, but he has only started on three occasions.
Williams was left on the substitutes’ bench for Sunderland’s most recent match, which they drew 1-1 with Queens Park Rangers, and that led to Grayson facing criticism.
However, Grayson insists that he would be picking Williams every week, if the attacking midfielder could prove his fitness.
“I know he dislocated his shoulder at Ipswich, but he just keeps getting a niggle here and there,” Grayson said. “That doesn’t help with my team selection because I want to play my most talented players, and players that I’ve brought to this club to affect the game.
“Jonny showed last week what a good player he is. Could I have started him for that game? Not really, because I felt that he wasn’t in the right physical condition. That showed after the game when we found out he’d picked up a slight hamstring strain.”
Williams has had problems with injuries throughout the entirety of his career, and it has stopped him fulfilling his potential.
The tricky midfielder could feature for Sunderland this weekend, though, when the Black Cats take on Brentford at Griffin Park.
If Sunderland are able to pick up the three points they could move out of the relegation zone, which would be a welcome boost.
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