'I trust': Régis Le Bris issues clear Sunderland selection message amid lengthy absentees list
Sunderland return to Championship action when they face Millwall on Saturday
Régis Le Bris says he is excited by the potential of the Sunderland side he has named to face Millwall on Saturday afternoon, despite a lengthy list of absentees.
Trai Hume, Patrick Roberts and Jobe Bellingham are all suspended for the game against Neil Harris’s in-form side, while Alan Browne and Romaine Mundle are facing around two months on the sidelines. It means that Le Bris is almost certain to be naming some players out of their most natural positions, and introducing some unfamiliar combinations across the pitch.
Le Bris is well aware that the cohesion of a side that has been so well connected this season will inevitably suffer somewhat as a result, but insists he has no doubt the team he has settled on is capable of winning. He firmly rejected any suggestion of taking a more cautious approach as a result of the absences.
“Football is unpredictable, life is unpredictable, so we have to manage the situation with confidence,” Le Bris said.
“I trust the players, the mindset of the team. These players have played in the Championship before, just perhaps not in this team set up. They are ready.
“When I put the lineup [on the board] in my office, I was very confident with the starting line up and the subs I will have on the bench. Obviously, it is different and when you have bigger experience behind you, you can have the confidence in this triangle or that triangle because they have played many games against different opponents and challenges. This gives you confidence but also we struggled against Plymouth when they had a winger who was on fire. We were confident with our triangle that day but it was difficult. We have had to find a new set up but I am excited about this. Instead of being not confident, or unsure, I am excited. Football is like this, we need 22 players and we know that in a league with 46 games, we have to manage many, many different situations.”
Le Bris is expected to welcome Aji Alese and Anthony Patterson back to his squad for the game after the pair both returned to full training over the international break.