The 'amazing' Sunderland talent who left Tony Mowbray pondering a very familiar selection dilemma

The winger has lost his place as a result of Amad's impressive goalscoring form but produced a superb cameo from the bench that almost helped his side to an unlikely win.

Roberts was introduced immediately after Elliot Embleton's red card alongside Ross Stewart and Dennis Cirkin, and promptly set up the former for the opening goal.

The Black Cats were unable to hold on to that advantage but Roberts continued to impress in relieving the pressure on his side by carrying it up the field from deep.

The 25-year-old more than stated his case and continues to leave Mowbray with a selection headache - particularly as he is now openly weighing up the merits of playing Stewart and Ellis Simms together.

"I've sat in front of you before and said that I'm not sure there's a better footballer in this league with the ball at his feet than Patrick Roberts - he is an amazing talent," Mowbray said afterwards.

"The ball sticks to his foot and it's unbelievable what he can do, and yet Amad deserves to play because he's scored four or five goals in five or six games and has looked a real threat.

"I wanted to get Patrick on today because I wanted him to do exactly what he did when we get him on the ball, they can't get it off them because he sticks it through their legs, he dribbles, he slows them and down speeds them up, cuts inside.

"He's a real, real talent and he should feel hard-done by that he hasn't been starting for us in recent weeks. It's my job to try and get Amad, who scores goals, in the team with Patrick and then we're adding Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms. We've got to find the balance there."

Stewart's return was one of the key positives from an often challenging afternoon for Sunderland, with the Scot making an instant impact not just with his goal but his all-round game.

Mowbray had no regrets over not putting Stewart in from the start but says he has every chance when Blackburn Rovers visit the Stadium of Light on Boxing Day.

"The right thing to do is to ease him back in," Mowbray said.

"Ellis has scored a couple of goals for us of late and had a good chance in the first half - I haven't felt like I've needed to rush Ross.

"There's a fair chance he could start on Boxing Day and it's exciting to think that we could start two strikers in this team. With the likes of Amad, Clarke, Roberts... the service to these two strikers, it's exciting. What we need to make sure is that the balance is right so we have what we need to deal with the opposition at the other end."

Alex Pritchard is expected to be fit for Blackburn's visit, but there are fears that Embleton is facing a long lay-off after suffering an injury in the challenge from which he saw red.