One thing has not changed this season despite all of the uncertainty and inconsistency:
s significance to this Sunderland team.
With twelve games left, we have a massive hole to fill after learning of his injury. He has been our player of the season, a constant threat on the left.
As we’ve seen far too frequently this season, six weeks is a long time in football, especially when you have to play three games a week, four games against the league’s top seven, and fit a busy Easter calendar into that time frame.
Thus, it is a severe blow that Clarke’s ankle ligament damage will keep him out of action for six weeks, and possibly longer until he is fit enough to play again.
Although Mike Dodds’ situation appears dire at first glance, how will he discover the solutions to the concerns that Clarke’s absence raises?
The figures this season have shown how much we have relied on him. In 35 games, Clarke has assisted on four goals and scored fifteen himself. To be honest, no one else in the team has really been able to match his stats.
To put things in perspective, Jobe is our second-highest goal scorer of the season with five goals, followed by Dan Neil and Pierre Ekwah with four each.
In comparison to other players in the division, Clarke currently ranks among the top four scorers in the league, trailing Sammy Szmodics, Morgan Whittaker, and Adam Armstrong, and sharing the same goal tally as Crysencio Summerville. Notably, he boasts the best goal conversion rate and shot accuracy among this group of five players.
This outstanding performance has attracted attention from numerous clubs, prompting interest during the previous summer and January transfer windows. Anticipation is high that clubs will pursue him once again in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Clarke’s proficiency in advancing with the ball and taking on defenders has been instrumental in his significant role within the team. His trademark move of cutting onto his right foot and delivering a sublime finish into the far corner has been a source of delight for fans on multiple occasions.
While there is hope to witness Clarke in action for the current team before an expected departure in the summer, the length of his injury and the required time for him to regain match fitness make the possibility of his return seem rather remote.
Regarding the present, the most important query is: who will step up in the last twelve games?
Romaine Mundle deserves a longer look at the team to see what he can accomplish after putting on an excellent display at Birmingham—ironically, during the same game that Clarke suffered his ankle injury.
He may have been brought in to replace Clarke next season, but an opportunity to establish himself has presented itself far sooner than anticipated. One can only hope that he seizes it.
Another guy who could be crucial is Abdoullah Ba, if he can maintain some of the form we’ve already seen in him—just not consistently.
We did appear to have missed Clarke’s attacking danger on Saturday, particularly in the first half when we found it difficult to contain Swansea, but we now need to begin adjusting to life without him.
It will need more output from the attackers and a step up from other offensive players.
Therefore, if the campaign wasn’t already in jeopardy, it is now, and finishing in the top six will need even more of us because of the significant hole left by Clarke’s injury.