Regis Le Bris confirms Sunderland selection plan and sends message to players ahead of Preston North End tie

Regis Le Bris has confirmed that he will make a number of changes to his Sunderland starting XI at Preston North End tomorrow night and has insisted that many involved have a huge part to play over the course of the campaign.

Leo Hjelde is fit to return to the side after missing out through injury at the weekend and though the Carabao Cup is clearly not a priority for the club this season, Le Bris said it is an important fixture in terms of the development of his team.

"There was a difference between the first and second game they played together, from Eldense to Bradford,” Le Bris said.

“I hope the third one will be better because they need time to build the references to play together and later in the season, they can take another step. The fact that it is a competitive game will be helpful for the players, I think. With a season of 46 games, many of these players are going to be involved. There are five, six, seven players in the team who are going to have a huge importance to the squad. So it's an important game for us, for them, the club.”

Le Bris is also set to include a number of players who could yet leave the club on loan this month, including Luis Hemir, Jewison Bennette and Joe Anderson. The Sunderland head coach says that every player has the chance to prove they can be a part of his plans moving forward.

“Yes, I am confident with all of them,” Le Bris said.

“If they have a good mindset, they are talented with different kind of profiles. If they want to improve, they are involved in the squad project, many things could happen really. In my career I've observed many evolutions that are incredible. I believe in development and improvement and sometimes it's crazy what they can become.”

Nectar Triantis and Pierre Ekwah are set for a key part in the game having returned to the squad following injury on Saturday.