Defender to 'get opportunity' at Sunderland despite nightmare start to loan spell

Nectar Triantis has had a rocky start to life on loan at Hibernian, but he is still firmly in the long-term Sunderland plan.

Sunderland boss Michael Beale has backed Nectar Triantis to recover from his nightmare start at Hibernian and challenge for a starting spot on Wearside.

Triantis has made just one start in the Championship for Sunderland since signing from Central Coast Mariners last summer – and even that was only due to an injury in the warm-up to Dennis Cirkin.

The Australian joined the SPL side on deadline day and has started both games since, although neither went to plan.

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Hibs lost 3-0 at home to St Mirren and followed that up with a 2-1 defeat to Celtic at Easter Road. Triantis gave away a penalty in both.

Despite that tough start, though, Beale says Sunderland still rate the defender highly – and they expect him to come back to Wearside much stronger than when he left.

"Nectar has just gone and played two 90 minutes in four or five days, that's given him massive oxygen.

"We're watching that with a view of Nectar coming back in the summer and having the opportunity to play here.

"It's a fine juggling act, you need to keep as much in-house but you need to know those in-house are getting enough out of the programme. It's never an exact science."

Triantis is expected to be involved again for Hibs when they face Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the Scottish Cup this weekend, with fellow Sunderland-loanee Eliezer Mayenda also in the squad. 

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