Sunderland are in European action for the first time in 53 years on Wednesday night

Régis Le Bris has hinted that any changes for Sunderland's Europa League debut against AZ Alkmaar are likely to be kept to a minimum.

The Black Cats face a demanding schedule this season and have been clear that stability in the Premier League is their ultimate priority, but Le Bris believes he has the depth and the freshness in his group to name a strong side in the early stages.

The Sunderland head coach also said it was clear that his players were keen to play in the competition as much as possible.

"Because it's still early in the season, and the players are fresh, they can play, and they want to play because I think they want to play this competition," Le Bris said.

"They want to be involved in something new as well for the club, and we hope that the competition is really interesting at that point. So I repeat, we need more than 11 players to be competitive in both competitions, for example, but it's possible for us to go strong [at this stage].

"I think we want to go strong in both competitions, that's important for our fans and for the club as well," Le Bris added.

"The depth of the squad is getting better as well, so we need more than 11 players to be efficient and competitive. I think the players are looking forward to this kind of competition, it's very obvious. The energy will be strong and it's still early in the season, so they are not tired."

Sunderland had a full group in training on Tuesday morning, with the exception of injured duo Habib Diarra and Romaine Mundle. Youngsters Timur Tutierov and Tom Proctor were part of the session, but may not be required given the depth available to Le Bris.

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Le Bris said it was a proud moment to lead the club into European competition for the first time in 53 years.

"I'm proud to be part of bringing Sunderland back in the European competition, it's obvious." he said.

"It's a privilege and it shows the momentum of the club. We are progressing step after step and it's very positive for our fans.W e know that the challenge is demanding in the Premier League and the European competition as well, but we are so happy to be in this position. We want to take the positive, knowing that it's challenging, but we need moments like this to get better.

"It's a special moment. It's really positive for our fans and for the community and for the players as well, because we worked hard last season to earn this opportunity. Now it's another part of the journey."

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