Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris has given an update on injuries following the defeat to Huddersfield Town
Regis Le Bris has given a Sunderland injury update after their defeat to Huddersfield Town.
Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris was disappointed with his sides performance against Huddersfield Town as the Black Cats crashed out of the Carabao Cup on penalties, after being dealt another injury blow.
The Terriers took the lead after just nine minutes when Leo Castledine crashed in a thunderous volley into the top right-hand corner with the Wearsiders offering very little in terms of reply.
That was until the second-half when the Black Cats boss changed system and moved to a 4-3-3 with Sunderland having 15 shots in the second 45, as opposed to just two in the first half. Marc Guiu equalised late on but the Wearsiders couldn't find a winner and were beaten 6-5 on penalties.
"A bit disappointed because we always want to win," Le Bris admitted. "The main purpose of the evening was to win and we failed. It's not the only lesson. I think we struggled in the first-half but we needed to test different options.
"On the pitch we had many new players so we had to experience things in real conditions. That was the case this evening. One option, if it doesn't work, try another option. In the second-half it was much better. I think it's positive for the future, especially for Saturday.
"Probably the formation change was important, because we tested two forwards during the first half and it was tough, probably because of the shape and the low block,” he said. "In the second half, with Wilson on the left, Mark and Pat on the right, we tried the 4-3-3 and it worked well.
“I think the energy was positive. Sometimes you can struggle, but you feel that they try. Obviously, the starting line-up was new, so you can't just decide and it works perfectly from scratch.
"It doesn't work like that. I think Huddersfield played with desire and intensity. They were well-organised and scored a fantastic goal. It was a good context for the development of the squad.
"At the end, if you try and work well but the output is negative, it doesn't mean you won't be selected for the next game.”
Le Bris was dealt another injury blow with Niall Huggins forced off at half-time during Sunderland's Carabao Cup second round exit against Huddersfield Town.
The right-back, who missed the entirety of last season recovering from and ACL injury returned to the fold in pre-season but had to be withdrawn after just 45 minutes tonight.
"It was an injury," Le Bris told Chronicle Live in his post-match press conference. "He felt discomfort in his groin."
It's unclear the extent of the Welsh youth international's injury, with Jenson Jones coming on for his Sunderland debut at the half-time interval.
There was better news in relation to Dan Ballard's injury diagnosis after coming off against Burnley, with the defender expected to be out for just three weeks, which will likely rule him out of the international break.
"We had a diagnosis yesterday so [he'll probably be out for] three weeks."