Regis Le Bris Shares Concerning Update Ahead of Sunderland-Crystal Palace Clash

AFC Sunderland will travel to London to take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday. The players left for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers following a late comeback win over Brentford on MD3.

Head coach Regis Le Bris addressed the media ahead of the fixture and talked about his strategies and injuries entering match week 4. The French native discussed the role of Brian Brobbey, the former Ajax forward who arrived on deadline day.

“Brian brings a different profile,” Le Bris said. “He is a pure striker with the ability to hold the ball or run in behind. He is a good finisher with a different physical profile.

The Black Cats already had Eliezer Mayenda and Wilson Isidor in the locker room, and Brobbey's arrival will certainly provide Le Bris with more options up front.

"Eli, Wilson, and Brian are different, so it gives us options according to what is needed in the game. It is positive for the output of the squad because we have three different options and positive competition for places. They will push and help each other." Le Bris said.

Isidor's goal secured Sunderland's win over Brentford in the extra time, while Mayenda has been the team's starter and opened the scoring in the club's season opener. It'd be interesting to see how the Black Cats line up following Brobbey's addition.

Le Bris also shared injury updates for Saturday's game. Dan Ballard was sidelined for Sunderland's last fixture and is expected to stay away from action until next week.

"Probably for Aston Villa," Le Bris said about the defender's potential return.

Romaine Mundle underwent a surgery in summer and might not see the pitch until next month.

"Romaine Mundle will be targeting a return around the next international break in October," Le Bris said.

The Black Cats' HC had some more disappointing news for the fans.

“It’s a bit longer than expected for the others. For Dennis, we have to wait a bit. He didn’t heal completely after his wrist injury, and he had an issue with his knee as well. So he needs to rest a bit. Luke should be ready around Aston Villa. Leo struggled with his achilles, so it’s a bit longer than expected as well. He had the surgery for both achilles, he worked hard last season to be connected with the squad, even if it was painful."

Le Bris said that Dennis has to heal completely before rejoining the squad, and Aji is returning after a long time, so it might be difficult to find a rhythm with his teammates.

Lutsharel Geertruida and Bertrand Traoré were Sunderland's other two deadline day signings. Le Bris believes the players are ready to play. The newcomers might not play for the entire 90 minutes but they should be good to go very soon.

Crystal Palace and Sunderland have won three games each in the last eight meetings between the two clubs. The Black Cats registered a 4-0 win when the two sides faced off last time in February 2017. Le Bris would hope to repeat the feat on Saturday.

Read More: