Régis Le Bris has been urged to play two up front against Cardiff City this weekend in the Championship

Danny Collins has urged Sunderland head coach Régis Le Bris to play two up front ahead of the games against Cardiff City and Preston North End.

The Black Cats opted for a 4-3-3 formation at Hillsborough against Sheffield Wednesday last Friday in the Championship, with Eliezer Mayenda preferred ahead of Wilson Isidor, who was rested. Sunderland won the game 2-1 thanks to a superb brace from the 19-year-old.

The two goals have again raised a debate surrounding Le Bris’ preferred system. Isidor has 13 goal contributions this season, with Mayenda clocking in at 11. However, the two haven’t been deployed up front together for some time after some success playing in a 4-4-2 earlier in the campaign.

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The two looked electric together in the win against promotion rivals Sheffield United at the Stadium of Light at the beginning of the year, with both Mayenda and Isidor on the scoresheet that night in the Championship on New Year’s Day. And with Sunderland set to face Cardiff City and Preston North End at home this coming Saturday and next Tuesday, respectively, Le Bris has been urged to switch back to 4-4-2.

"They are both quick, they play on the shoulder - they are a nightmare for centre-backs," former Black Cats defender Danny Collins told BBC Radio Sunderland. Why not go with it? Go with a two-man midfield, maybe Jobe Bellingham and Dan Neil.

“Romaine Mundle on the wing, maybe Patrick Roberts on the right. What don't you like as a centre-back or a full-back? It's the ball constantly getting dropped in behind you, running back towards your own goal with a flier on your shoulder - so we will have to wait and see,” he added.

What did Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris say after the Sheffield Wednesday win?

“It was very important to refresh the team because most of the players have played many games,” Le Bris said. “The depth of the squad is really important. We had four or five players able to play, and they deserved to have this opportunity. They played well.

"I think it was important to give some energy to the team. It wasn't easy to play football on this pitch, it was difficult for both teams. So it was more a question of energy, commitment and resilience. Even we conceded the equaliser, it was important to stay connected and find a solution to score. I think this was good news for us. We changed the structure at the end, we switched to a back five and our subs were really important, they gave us something else. We showed more maturity today,” added the Sunderland head coach.

Sunderland host Cardiff at the Stadium of Light on Saturday followed by Preston North End the following Tuesday, a home double-header at an important stage of the season.