Regis Le Bris will have to make wholesale changes to his Sunderland line-up for this afternoon’s game at Millwall, but the Black Cats boss is confident the side he will select at the Den is capable of achieving a positive result.
Not only are Trai Hume, Patrick Roberts, and Jobe Bellingham all suspended for today’s game in south London, but Sunderland are also without Alan Browne and Romaine Mundle, both of whom suffered serious injuries in the final game before the international break.
Le Bris will have to make a number of personnel and positional changes, particularly in the final third, but the Black Cats boss is far from perturbed by the prospect of having to field a radically remodelled side.
“Football is unpredictable,” said Le Bris, whose side starts the weekend sitting at the top of the championship table. “Life is unpredictable, so we have to manage the situation with confidence.
“I trust the players, the mindset of the team. These players have played in the championship before, just perhaps not in this team setup. They are ready.”
Le Bris spent much of the international break toying with a number of different options as he pondered his line-up for the Millwall game.
While some of his players were away on international duty, the majority remained on Wearside and were therefore available to trial different formations and line-ups.
Switching to three at the back is one option, albeit one that Le Bris has tended to shy away from during both his time as Sunderland boss and throughout his previous reign at Lorient.
He is more likely to stick with a version of his preferred 4-3-3 formation and revealed at his pre-match press conference on Thursday that he had been working with Chris Rigg in a much deeper midfield position than the one the teenager has been filling so far this season.
“When I put the line-up (on the board) in my office, I was very confident with the starting lineup and the subs I will have on the bench,” said Le Bris. “Obviously, it is different, and when you have more experience behind you, you can have 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.”
And while Sunderland have been unfortunate to have three players suspended at the same time, Le Bris anticipated there would be difficult moments during a 46-game Championship campaign that was always going to have ups and downs.
“We have had to find a new set-up, but I am excited about this,” said Le Bris, whose side are heading into a run of three games in the space of six days. “Instead of being not confident or unsure, I am excited.
“The 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.”
