‘I trust’: Régis Le Bris sends clear Sunderland selection message among huge absentee list.

Sunderland return to Championship action when they face Millwall this Saturday. Régis Le Bris is thrilled about the possibilities of the Sunderland squad he has picked to face Millwall on Saturday afternoon, despite a significant list of absentees. Trai Hume, Patrick Roberts, and Jobe Bellingham are all suspended for the encounter against Neil Harris’s in-form team, while Alan Browne and Romaine Mundle will be sidelined for approximately two months. It means that Le Bris will almost certainly name some players out of their normal positions and introduce some new combinations on the field.

Le Bris is well aware that the togetherness of a club that has been so tightly connected this season would eventually suffer as a result, but he is confident that the team he has chosen is capable of winning. He flatly refused any notion of taking a more cautious approach as a result of the absences. “Football is unpredictable, life is unpredictable, so we have to manage the situation with confidence,” Le Bris informed the audience.

“I trust the players and the team’s approach. These players have previously competed in the Championship, though not necessarily in this specific team configuration. They’re ready.

“When I posted the lineup [on the board] in my office, I was quite confident in the starting lineup and the substitutes I would have on the bench. Obviously, it differs, and when you have more experience, you can have faith in this or that triangle since they have played many games against various opponents and situations. This gives you confidence, but we battled against Plymouth, who had a winger on fire. We felt secure in our triangle that day, but it was challenging. We had to find a new setup, but I’m really enthusiastic about it.

Rather than being insecure or apprehensive, I am enthusiastic. Football is like this; we need 22 players, and we know that in a 46-game league, we will have to deal with a variety of situations.” Le Bris is anticipated to welcome back Aji Alese and Anthony Patterson, who have returned to full training during the international break.