Sunderland manager Régis Le Bris is facing a difficult squad scenario due to a long list of absentees. Chris Mepham, a key defender, is on the verge of a one-game suspension against The Den on Saturday. Mepham was driven into a challenge as Sunderland attempted to defend their advantage against Millwall, and he received his fourth yellow card as a result. One more in the next three games will result in a ban, with the cut-off occurring after 19 games of the season.
The defender is one of three players with four yellow cards. Chris Rigg is another, and Jobe Bellingham is one yellow away from a one-game ban as he prepares to return from a three-game suspension for a straight red card at QPR. Trai Hume and Patrick Roberts, along with Bellingham, will rejoin to the squad after serving suspensions when West Brom visit the Stadium of Light on Tuesday night.
There are little concerns about more suspension possibilities before the deadline, with Wilson Isidor being the only other player who might conceivably face a ban, given he presently has two yellow cards on the season. If Mepham is suspended, Le Bris has excellent options in the heart of defence, with Dan Ballard and Aji Alese both completely fit and played admirably in the 1-1 draw at Millwall. Dennis Cirkin is likely to recover from a wrist injury soon, allowing Alese to play center defence if necessary.
Leave a Reply