Sunderland are looking to build on a strong start to the campaign when they face Aston Villa this weekend
Sunderland return to Premier League action this Sunday when Aston Villa visit the Stadium of Light.
It has been a difficult start to the campaign for Unai Emery's side who have yet to score a league goal, but they boast serious quality throughout their squad and will pose a stern test of Régis Le Bris's squad.
Here, we take a look at the key selection calls Le Bris is facing this week...
Is Dan Ballard ready to come back into the starting XI?
Le Bris confirmed ahead of the Crystal Palace drew last weekend that he expected Dan Ballard to return to the squad for Aston Villa's visit, with the defender subsequently spotted back in full training with his team mates. It's only a matter of weeks since his exclusion from the starting XI when fit would have been unthinkable. Following his recall to the side for that play-off semi final first leg at Coventry City, Ballard produced a genuinely iconic run of performances culminating in a goal in that emphatic opening-day win over West Ham. Even his early injury at Burnley came as he created a big chance for Eliezer Mayenda.
In his absence, however, Nordi Mukiele has taken his chance and then some. Impressive in the late win over Brentford at the Stadium of Light, Mukiele was then a crucial part of Sunderland's battling point against Crystal Palace. Ballard has a big role to play this season and has already shown he has the quality to thrive at Premier League level, but Mukiele's performances might well encourage Le Bris to take a cautious approach to his comeback. There doesn't seem to be a need to rush Ballard or take any risks that could lead to a longer absence. For now, having him for the latter stages of games if required will be a major boost.
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Is Enzo Le Fée ready to return?
Le Fée was a surprise absentee last weekend, with Le Bris revealing that the Frenchman had picked up a minor injury the day before the game. As such, there is some hope that the 25-year-old will be back this weekend and if he is, his performance on the left wing in his last appearance against Brentford will make it very difficult to leave him out.
The question will then be whether Chemsdine Talbi keeps his place on the right wing, or whether Simon Adingra moves across.
Le Fée would be a big miss if he is absent again - Sunderland's biggest issue in a very impressive start to the season has been creating chances and he's arguably the player in the squad best suited to opening up the opposition defence. Deadline-day addition Bertrand Traoré is of course another option for Le Bris, though he has heavily hinted that he is likely to be used as an impact substitute to begin with.
Who gets the nod up front?
Arguably the most difficult call for Le Bris ahead of Aston Villa's visit is who leads the line and who he instead uses from the bench. Wilson Isidor's start against Crystal Palace was well earned after an excellent start to the campaign, and yet his impact as a substitute is hard to ignore. Brian Brobbey made his debut off the bench at Selhurst Park and though his impact was modest, it would be wise not to make too many judgements from a cameo in a phase of the game where Crystal Palace were taking control. However, a disrupted pre-season at Ajax means it seems likely he'll continue as an impact substitute for now.
That means Le Bris will most likely decide whether to give Isidor another chance from the start, or whether to recall Eliezer Mayenda.
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