Sunderland face Sheffield United in the play-off final on Saturday.
In truth, it would be no great shock if the contest itself ends up being a rather cagey affair. Both sides have prided themselves on being difficult to beat over the course of a long and gruelling campaign, and in the case of Sunderland in particular, they have proven that they have no great qualms about sitting deep and trying to pick teams off on the break.
But how exactly will Regis Le Bris choose to line up this weekend, and what are the big questions still facing the Black Cats head coach at the eleventh hour? We’ve taken a closer look below...
What team will Regis Le Bris opt for against Sheffield United?
As has been the case for much of the season, there are certain positions in Sunderland’s starting XI that are almost automatically excluded from any kind of prolonged debate. Anthony Patterson, for instance, will be between the sticks, while Trai Hume and Dennis Cirkin are all but guaranteed to get the nod at right and left-back respectively if fit and available. Further forward, Dan Neil and Jobe Bellingham will feature in the heart of midfield, as they have done for the vast majority of the Black Cats’ promotion push.
Prior to the semi-final double header against Coventry City, there was perhaps a discussion to be had surrounding the centre of defence, but barring a seismic shock, presumably Dan Ballard and Luke O’Nien will once again be trusted on Saturday afternoon. To that end, Chris Mepham - who has been superb for much of the campaign - can probablt feel a touch aggrieved, but Ballard’s superlative physicality and aerial presence, as well as O’Nien’s range of distribution and general leadership qualities, make both all but indispensable at the present moment in time.
The rest of the team could largely be dictated by fitness concerns. If Romaine Mundle and Patrick Roberts are both in contention then they will start out on the flanks, but the former only made his comeback from a hamstring issue against Coventry, and the latter played with a calf complaint at the Stadium of Light last week. The inclusion of both Mundle and Roberts would presumably allow Enzo Le Fée to operate in his preferred central berth, but if either one misses out, then some kind of reshuffle involving Chris Rigg may be in order. Don’t be surprised if the teenage sensation lines up on the right wing, for instance.
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And finally, the other pressing question facing Le Bris is who will lead Sunderland’s line at Wembley? Wilson Isidor is the club’s leading scorer this season, and did end an alarmingly barren spell with the opening goal in a semi-final first leg victory over Coventry, but in general his form has dipped of late, and as a consequence, the smart money would suggest that Eliezer Mayenda has just crept ahead of him in the pecking order. There are a lot of onlookers on Wearside who would prefer to see the Spaniard start - and perhaps with good reason.
The other thing to point out, of course, is that all of this is working on the assumption that Le Bris will revert back to his tried and trusted 4-3-3 formation. The head coach twice started with both Isidor and Mayenda at the point of attack against Coventry, but a shaky showing in the second leg was only really remedied when he enacted a late change in shape. It is for that reason that gut instinct would suggest he will go with a front three in the capital, but it wouldn’t be beyond the Frenchman to spring something of a surprise when team news drops at 2pm on Saturday.
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