Régis Le Bris has confirmed Enzo Le Fée is unavailable after picking up a minor injury in training
The Frenchman, who scored a penalty in the Black Cats’ last game against Brentford at the Stadium of Light, was a surprise omission from the squad at Selhurst Park. Speaking before the match, Le Bris explained: “Enzo picked up a small injury yesterday and is unavailable.”
His absence saw Simon Adingra come into the side, joining Chemsdine Talbi on the flanks. Wilson Isidor also replaced Eliezer Mayenda up front, with the French forward rewarded for his sharp form off the bench in recent weeks.
Otherwise, Sunderland’s head coach stuck with a familiar line-up following last weekend’s dramatic stoppage-time win over Brentford. Nordi Mukiele and Omar Alderete continued their partnership in central defence, flanked by Trai Hume and Reinildo Mandava, while Robin Roefs kept his place in goal.
In midfield, Granit Xhaka once again captained the side alongside Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki, offering balance and energy in the middle of the park. The Black Cats’ three deadline-day arrivals – Lutsharel Geertruida, Bertrand Traore and Brian Brobbey – were all named on the bench and could make their debuts later in the game.
Le Bris also offered a wider injury update on his squad before the game revealing that Dan Ballard should be fit for next weekend’s home clash with Aston Villa. “Dan should be back for Aston Villa,” the head coach said. “It’s a bit longer than expected for the others. For Dennis [Cirkin], 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 [O’Nien] should be ready around Aston Villa.”
The Frenchman added that defender Leo Hjelde faces a longer recovery following Achilles surgery, while Aji Alese is edging closer to a return but still requires more time after a long spell on the sidelines. On new signing Geertruida, Le Bris suggested the Dutchman’s versatility will be an asset, but believes his strongest position is at the heart of defence.
He said: “I believe that his best position is probably centre-back. I think that is his main target, but he is really versatile. When we speak about positions, we speak about different roles. He can play at centre-back, but he could also play a bit wider or even in the midfield. We will try to exploit this profile, and we will see what the opportunities will be in the next few weeks.”
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Sunderland now face the challenge of coping without Le Fée in the short term, with supporters hoping the injury proves to be only a minor setback. The Frenchman scored Sunderland’s opening goal in his first start in the Premier League against Brentford two weeks ago from the penalty spot and played a huge role in the cub’s promotion from the Championship to the top-flight last season aftervjoining on an initial loan from AS Roma.
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