Sunderland manager Martin O’Neill has revealed he is yet to make a decision on Zambian trialist Stoppila Sunzu, report Sky Sports.

The highly rated central-defender has been training with the North East club but saw his first game for the club – a behind-closed-doors friendly – unfortunately cut short by injury.

23-year-old Sunzu hobbled off with a slight knee injury and will now fly out to join up with his international teammates ahead of Zambia’s World Cup qualifier against Lesotho.

Controversy

The defender found himself at the heart of a controversial contract dispute which led to rival Premier League outfit Reading, also said to be interested in the Zambian, pulling out of the race for his signature.

Sunzu trained with the Royals in January with the intention of signing as a free agent, but his current club, TP Mazembe denied that the defender was ever a free agent, claiming he was still under contract.

It was eventually agreed that Sunzu was in fact under contract with the Congolese outfit until 2015 but they have given him permission to train with Sunderland.

Unsure

However, Martin O’Neill claims he hasn’t yet seen enough of the centre-half to make a decision on whether or not to snap him up.

The Northern Irishman told the Sunderland Echo: “He played a little game the other day, but he had a swollen knee before he came here and he had to come off in the game.

“That will stop him training for a week at most. And then he’ll be going away to play during the international break so we’ll monitor him during that game.

“But I haven’t seen enough of him yet to make a decision on him.”