Wilson Isidor denies Le Bris rift after Rayo Vallecano game and reveals last season’s personal struggles
Wilson Isidor has quashed speculation of a rift with Régis Le Bris after being substituted during Sunderland’s 3-0 home defeat to Rayo Vallecano – and says he is now focused on being ready for this weekend’s Premier League opener against West Ham United.
The French striker made his first appearance since the 1-1 draw with Sevilla in late July, having missed four games with a thigh injury. Subbed off towards the end of the game, Isidor walked past Le Bris when leaving the field – prompting speculation from one fan about a possible disagreement.
However, the striker was quick to respond to the talk. Posting on X after the game, Isidor moved to shut down the rumours, writing: “There’s no problem with the coach mates, don’t worry 😉 And now let’s go back to work, a massive week awaits us!”
Speaking to the club’s media, the 24-year-old stressed that the appearance was an important step in his recovery: “Yeah, really happy to be back, because since the game against Sevilla I didn't train with the team, I started to train only on Tuesday, I think, maybe, so it's important to get some minutes before the return of the league, and I'm really happy now to play 16 minutes.”
He continued: “The result was not there, but I think everybody will take the minutes, because for a lot of players it was important to have some game time, so we're happy about the game time, and now we're looking forward to the restart of the league, and keep going to work strong, strong and strong.”
The striker acknowledged the size of the summer rebuild at Sunderland, which has seen a wave of new arrivals, and believes pre-season has been key in blending the group. “We have a lot of new players. Today was a mix between the players of last season and the new 21s.
“It's important for those games to create a lot of connections between the players. The pre-season was also important to be away in Portugal, it was good because we could create a good connection between the new players and the old ones. I think we have to keep only the positives. Today there was not a lot, but the most important thing is to be ready for Saturday.”
Isidor also opened up about a difficult second half of last season, revealing personal challenges off the pitch but insisting he is now in a better place ahead of the new campaign. “What I can say, the second part of the season was tough for me. Physically, it was tough, but also personally.
The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click this link to join ourSAFC WhatsApp channel.
‘Now everything is getting better and better, that's why maybe my smile has come back. The most important thing now is to look forward. Personally, I will have the birth of my daughter. I'm looking forward to that season, to play the most minutes possible, what the coach is going to give me. We just want to bring the smile here in that city. Again, keep to have the smile, what we have since two months. So, yeah, that will be really important and I'm really happy with that.”
Sunderland face West Ham at the Stadium of Light this Saturday in their first Premier League fixture since 2017, with Le Bris expected to finalise his line-up later this week.
Continue Reading