Sunderland manager, Regis Le Bris, has been speaking to the press ahead of his side’s clash with Norwich on Saturday and offered an update on the players who may or may not be available.
All eyes are on Sunderland as they take on Norwich this weekend, with Regis Le Bris looking to make it four unbeaten for the Black Cats.
While we know Sunderland can exploit Norwich’s inconsistent form, Le Bris will need every player firing on all cylinders and will be hoping absences do not cost his side.
Of course, Le Bris has confirmed Tommy Watson is out for two months, while the likes of Romaine Mundle, Alan Browne, and Salis Abdul Samed are still out longer term.
Sunderland have no fresh injury concerns ahead of Norwich City clash
In his latest press conference (via the Sunderland YouTube channel), Le Bris was asked for an update on the status of the Sunderland squad when it comes to injuries, and he had good news… for now.
Discussing the recent bout of illness that affected Dan Neil, Luke O’Nien, and some members of staff, Le Bris said: “They seem ok but it’s unpredictable.”
The Sunderland manager was then asked if anyone was affected in the wake of the win over Swansea and added, “So far there are no other injuries.”
Le Bris was then quizzed as to whether O’Nien will regain his place in the starting lineup now that he is feeling better, but the Frenchman kept his cards close to his chest.
He said: “We will have to see about Luke O’Nien… it’s very important to have options. If we have injuries or suspensions, we know we have the solutions within the squad. Everybody is pushing together. This is a very close group
“If we have players who can come in and play it’s always good for me and the team. If we have five, six, seven players for each position then that is better for us.”
Fitness issues can make or break Sunderland’s season
While Sunderland do have some influential players missing right now, the Black Cats have dealt really well with those absences, and the squad will only get stronger in the coming weeks and months as players return.
We spotted Ian Poveda and Jenson Seelt in training this week, which is a huge boost to the squad, with strength returning in both defence and attack.
If Sunderland can avoid any major injuries in the next fortnight, it will be interesting to see how Le Bris operates in January and how the squad evolves when all those injured players do come back.
Keeping a fit squad can be crucial to Sunderland’s hopes for promotion, and the Black Cats will need all the luck they can get if they are to keep pace with Leeds United and Sheffield United this season.
