Wilson Isidor has growing transfer interest as the January window nears its conclusion

Régis Le Bris admits that Wilson Isidor is frustrated with his limited game time at Sunderland but hinted that he would be reluctant to see the striker depart unless a replacement arrived.

Isidor has been linked with a move to Everton and Nottingham Forest this week, having fallen behind Brian Brobbey in the pecking order at Sunderland. Eliezer Mayenda has also been used as an impact substitute in recent games ahead of Isidor, but the Sunderland head coach has said peaks and troughs in form are inevitable across a full season. Le Bris says he still has a ‘really positive’ connection with the player, who was crucial to Sunderland’s promotion last season and scored four goals in a strong run of form at the beginning of this season.

“For Wilson, I've had many conversations with him and his agent recently,” Le Bris said.

“He's a really good player, important for us, did really well in the past and for sure in the future as well.

“We still have momentum and I think for Sunderland at the minute it's really positive to have Brian in good form. And two strikers, Eli and Wilson, ready to go. It's normal to have some difficult periods because they are still young, new in the league. So I don't know if it's possible to sustain the level for a whole season in this league. So it's just normal to have different periods.

“Yes, sure [he is frustrated at the moment], which I think is acceptable, it's not new in professional life,” Le Bris added.

“I think you have to accept good and bad periods, I think if we compare with last season, he had more or less this dynamic, he started well, then struggled a bit, and then went back at the end of the season, so he's learning, we are here to support him, to challenge him, so now the connection is really good, really positive, really open, so I can explain what I expect from him, he can give me feedback about the set-up, what he finds difficult to get better, so I think this connection is really positive, even if he struggles a bit at the minute.”

Le Bris was asked if Sunderland would require a replacement to let Isidor depart and though he would not be drawn either way, he said the current balance at the club was ‘perfect’.

Le Bris said: “That's a good question which I don't want to answer!

“It's important, I repeat, from my experience, to have two strikers. Then one a bit more versatile, because it was the case in League One, it's the case even more in the Premier League... it's so demanding for only one player you can sustain the level, because of the physicality, because of the strength of the opponents, so you need two to sustain the level. And one more versatile is always useful. So our set-up at the minute is perfect.”

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Régis Le Bris’s Sunderland team news update for West Ham clash

Régis Le Bris has confirmed that Habib Diarra and Chemsdine Talbi could be available to face West Ham United on Saturday lunchtime.

Diarra and Talbi returned to Wearside this week after the Africa Cup of Nations, and are training again with their team mates ahead of the game. Diarra did only return to training on Thursday having celebrated Senegal’s win in the competition, and so the club are still assessing his fitness level ahead of the weekend. Diarra featured regularly for Senegal throughout the tournament, though Talbi made just one appearance as a substitute for Morocco. Their return would nevertheless significantly boost Le Bris’s depth for the foreseeable future.

“Yeah, they are back training,” Le Bris said.

“Habib only returned to training today, so the check-up is still ongoing. I hope that they could be available for the next fixture. I hope they will be able to play, but we'll see for the starting line-up.”

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