HAWAY THE PODCAST!
Have you heard about Haway The Podcast, the official Roker Report Podcast? We’d love you to check it out and give it a listen!
CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE!
Ciaran McKenna says…
This is a difficult decision — one that’s definitely been at the back of my mind for the last couple of games.
On one hand, you could bench or drop them totally, prioritising the derby. This is tempting as they’re both so important to the team and how we operate and having them for the derby would be great. It could also double as a good rest for the duo, who’ve played in all fourteen league games so far this season.
It would be interesting to see how we would fare against Manchester City with both of them not in the starting eleven. I’m not totally opposed to this, but the idea of not putting out our best possible team also seems wrong.
On the other hand, you play them and trust their professionalism.
They’ve been outstanding so far this season and I’m absolutely certain that they understand the importance of the upcoming derby. I’m also sure they don’t want to miss out on any games and want to give their all for the team, and that Le Bris is confident in their ability to avoid a booking on Saturday and to be able to play against Newcastle.
Overall, I would be tempted to rest them on Saturday but I don’t think Le Bris will.
I think he’ll back them to be the steady, reliable and brilliant players we know they are and have them play against Man City and in the derby.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 03: Noah Sadiki of Sunderland looks on during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Sunderland at Anfield on December 03, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 03: Noah Sadiki of Sunderland looks on during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Sunderland at Anfield on December 03, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Ian Bendelow says…
Le Bris is going to have to play at least one.
While losing one — or both — for the Newcastle match would significantly reduce our chances of winning, the same could be said for Manchester City — and as we know about this Sunderland side, anything is possible, so wouldn’t it be a shame if we ended the season saying “If only we’d got that point at City?”
Having Xhaka in our team means a combination of midfielders can play alongside him and we would be OK. There’s no need to list what he brings to the side here — we all know just how important he is to us tactically and psychologically.
However, the threat of suspension and three games in a week means maybe a rest would be good in any case. We’ve seen Eddie Howe do it with Bruno Guimarães and Sandro Tonali in the last few days, so there’s a dual purpose to leaving Xhaka out.
Sadiki, minus Xhaka, is much more of an unknown quantity. Will he have the ability to be disciplined and not steam around chasing tackles and risk a booking? He probably does, but would forever regret a card and being unable to play in the derby.
Rotation is also important.
With AFCON coming up, we need to have combinations in this side that we haven’t seen that often, or at all this season. Players on the fringes are going to get minutes, so why not start on Saturday? Get their fitness up, and protect one of Xhaka and Sadiki.
Given Sadiki has been kicked all over the last two games, I suspect he’ll drop out and Xhaka will have to professionally manage his game — which I trust him to do. But this is a gentle reminder that he’s been booked 188 times in his career...
John Wilson says…
It’s not always easy to predict Le Bris’ thoughts but in this instance, I feel confident that I can align with his thinking.
In many interviews and press conferences, he’s intimated that he doesn’t plan too far ahead in games. Instead, he concentrates on the next fifteen or twenty minutes in each match, playing his football out in “real time”, as he puts it.
To try and protect either Xhaka or Sadiki for the Newcastle game will be a non-starter in his plans, in my opinion, as they both showed great self-control against Liverpool without it affecting their aggressive nature.
Le Bris knows the unpredictability of the game; “This is just football,’ I can hear him say, and whilst he knows the importance of the derby, there’s no way he’d want to approach the Manchester City fixture with anything other than total commitment and with the best team possible. It’s his battle with Pep Guardiola, and I’m sure he’ll want to give it his best shot.
For me — as much as the importance of the derby is clouding our thoughts — it won’t cross Le Bris’ mind to play Russian roulette with the football gods. What will happen will happen and “We’ll be the best version of ourselves”, as he would say.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 03: Regis Le Bris, Manager of Sunderland, gestures during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Sunderland at Anfield on December 03, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 03: Regis Le Bris, Manager of Sunderland, gestures during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Sunderland at Anfield on December 03, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Malc Dugdale says…
I think we’ll play on as normal — which is probably not the most popular view with my mates in here, but it’s how I honestly feel.
Although keeping these lads available for the first proper derby in many years is important, every league point is crucial and we can’t break what doesn’t need fixing by thinking about the next game before this one has happened.
If we play well at City, we may well get another point towards safety, or towards a lot more than that based on our progress. A decent showing will give us even more confidence, as the performances against Bournemouth, Arsenal and Liverpool did.
If we mess about with the side to protect these lads for the Mags’ game, we could take a hiding off City that could impact our confidence for the derby anyway, so I suggest we play our game and we ask the lads not to dive in and get carded.
They’re professionals and they can do this. If they get an unlucky one, we adjust and take the Mags on with our excellent squad depth, and whatever we get from the game is even sweeter.
Newcastle mean nothing to me, and staying up is way more important..
The Lads making the top half or even Europe will more than make up for a derby we maybe only get a draw from, and I can’t see us losing the game even without a couple of very good players like these.
One game at a time. Trust the Lads and the team to do what’s needed, but let’s not treat the derby as anything other than another Premier League game — one we want to win a bit more than many others.
Matthew Crichton says…
If I was Le Bris, I’d rest Xhaka but start Sadiki.
From what we’ve seen this season, Xhaka has been an on-pitch manager for Sunderland. A true captain. A true leader. He dictates play, knows when to slow things down, raise the intensity, when to press…he’s such an intelligent footballer and has raised the standards completely.
With that in mind, I value the Newcastle game as too important for him to miss. It’s our biggest game of the season and we know how much a loss would lower spirits amongst the fans and the players.
As a central midfielder, Xhaka plays with bite. There’s always a tackle to be had you simply can’t play your normal game knowing you can’t get a single tackle wrong.
On the other hand, with Sadiki, rather than completely changing our midfield, I would keep him in place and bring in Lutsharel Geertruida. Sadiki has been one of our best players but isn’t as crucial as Xhaka and I guess we do have to test our midfield without him ahead of AFCON.
Geertruida is an experienced player at both European and international level, so I wouldn’t have any trouble in seeing him come in alongside Sadiki.
From what we’ve seen this season, Le Bris doesn’t seem to wish to use Dan Neil so that’s why I think it’s unlikely we see two changes — just Geertruida for Xhaka.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 03: Chemsdine Talbi of Sunderland celebrates scoring his team’s first goal with teammate Granit Xhaka during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Sunderland at Anfield on December 03, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 03: Chemsdine Talbi of Sunderland celebrates scoring his team’s first goal with teammate Granit Xhaka during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Sunderland at Anfield on December 03, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Nic Wiseman says…
I think you’ve got to trust the players to handle the situation and I have no doubt that they’ll be in the team to play Manchester City.
Both Xhaka and Sadiki have been on four yellow cards for a good few games, and it’s similar to when Trai Hume was one card away from a booking last season: it took months before the final card came.
I have full confidence that both will see out the game at Eastlands without a suspension looming over their heads for the derby, and and even if they do pick up a card, I’m sure Le Bris will have a plan in place.
Trust the process.