Both Noah Sadiki and Omar Alderete suffered injury issues during the last fortnight, with Sadiki withdrawing from international duty with DR Congo because of an ankle problem and Alderete having to be substituted during Paraguay’s 2-0 defeat to South Korea after suffering a muscular setback.
Alderete also had the small matter of a 20-hour flight back to England to contend with, meaning he did not return to the North-East until Thursday.
However, come Friday morning, both players were spelling out their desire to appear in yesterday’s home game against Wolves, and once he saw their attitude on the grass at the Academy of Light, Le Bris was happy to grant their request.
“It was obvious from the training session [on Friday] that they really wanted to play,” said the Sunderland boss. “The energy they showed was really good, and the feeling of the group as a whole was really positive.
“It was probably a good opportunity during the international break for some of the players to switch their focus and think about something else.
“Then when you come back, you are happy to be back with your team-mates and to play for Sunderland. They showed that in training and with the way they played in the game.”
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While Le Bris selected Sadiki and Alderete in his starting line-up against Wolves, the Black Cats boss still opted to make a defensive change. Arthur Masuaku dropped out of the side that had started the 2-0 defeat at Manchester United prior to the international break, with Dan Ballard returning at centre-half.
Ballard’s presence alongside Alderete meant Nordi Mukiele had to move to right-back, with Trai Hume switching flanks to play on the left of the back four. The pair both impressed in their new positions, combining superbly as Mukiele opened the scoring in Sunderland’s 2-0 win.
“It wasn’t a new option because Trai played as a left-back last season, and probably before that too,” said Le Bris. “Ballard deserved to play, and showed good qualities, especially against a strong striker like (Jorgen) Strand Larsen.
“The balance was positive, and I think this back four showed good qualities. It was important to switch to a back five at the end, and we have different profiles and different options that allow us to do that. That kind of defensive flexibility is important.”