Sunderland are not back in action until April 12th, when they face Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.
Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris has admitted that the current international break will provide his side with a valuable opportunity to gather themselves ahead of the remainder of the season following a testing recent run blighted by injury absences.
And that lengthy break between fixtures could prove to be advantageous for Le Bris as he seeks to patch up a squad that has had to deal with several key absentees of late. Even as recently as last weekend, Sunderland were without the likes of Dan Ballard and Robin Roefs, while Nordi Mukiele, Reinildo Mandava, and Enzo Le Fée were only fit enough to start on the bench. Elsewhere, the Black Cats also have a number of long-term injuries to contend with, including the likes Romaine Mundle, Nilson Angulo, Jocelin Ta Bi, and Bertrand Traore.
What has Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris said about the international break?
But looking ahead to the rest of the campaign, Le Bris has suggested that the international break may ultimately come at an ideal time for his beleaguered dressing room. Speaking in a press conference ahead of the Tyne-Wear derby, he said: “Probably those three weeks will be useful for that [welcoming players back from injury].
“We've had as many as eight players injured. The core of the squad is not massive. We have many inexperienced players. When those players are missing, it's always more difficult. It could be the case after the international break, but sometimes players have other games as well and they might be injured as well, so we never know.”
Le Bris also reflected on how the impact of this season’s African Cup of Nations - when Sunderland were without several key talents for the better part of a month around the turn of the year - has helped to inform how his side cope with adversity and personnel crises.
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Addressing the media, he said: “I think in this first season, it's probably unexpected to reach this 40 points target so early. At the same time, we are now struggling because of injuries. Players are a bit tired, which is normal. But probably the most important thing is the identity of the team. I think we belong to a community used to suffering.
“In that situation, we won't look for excuses. We are just managing the situation through togetherness, through working hard, through the identity of the squad. I think in those moments, you can reinforce your pillars and you create the condition for better days, when you have your full squad, a bit more freshness and so on.”
Le Bris continued: “It's important to just think about the identity of the squad. Ten months ago, in the play-offs, it was exactly the scenario of the games. We were not 100% dominant. We had to suffer, waiting for better moments. And when it was on, we won.”
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