Régis Le Bris
Sunderland is gearing up for a pre-season friendly against Hull City at the MKM Stadium on Tuesday night. This match comes on the heels of a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Hearts at Tynecastle, and manager Régis Le Bris is eager to see a strong response from his squad as the Premier League season approaches.
Régis Le Bris said: “We have to get used to playing against teams with high intensity again. Our tactics and our management of the squad are getting better, I have no problem with that. But now, it is a question of lifting the level of the players to be able to perform, with an extra 20, 40 maybe even 60 per cent in terms of intensity, work-rate and that side of the game. This is the next question we have to address.”
The Sunderland manager is expected to make several rotations in the squad, potentially bringing in some Under-21 players who impressed during their stint in Portugal. Players like Patrick Roberts, Alan Browne, Ahmed Abdullahi, and Milan Aleksic are likely to see action to increase their match fitness ahead of the new season.
Régis Le Bris said: “We are still taking our time with him [Reinildo] because he finished late with Atletico Madrid at the Club World Cup. We gave him three weeks to recover from that properly – now, we will build things progressively with him. We are not in a rush with him because it is not as though he has had a long break. There is no rush for him to play in the squad right now. He has to be ready for the first weekend of the season – that is all we are really focusing on with him.”
Reinildo Mandava, who recently joined from Atletico Madrid, will not feature in tonight’s game as he continues his recovery and preparation for the upcoming season. Meanwhile, Anthony Patterson and Chris Rigg are sidelined with minor injuries but are expected to be fit for the start of the season. Wilson Isidor is also doubtful due to a knee issue but should return soon.
Sunderland’s lineup for the match includes Moore, Hume, Ballard, Seelt, Harrison Jones, Sadiki, Diarra, Le Fee, Talbi, Adingra, and Mayenda. The bench features Nna Noukeu, Huggins, Neil, Ogunsuyi, Roberts, Browne, Tutierov, Abdullahi, Aleksic, Lavery, and Jenson Jones.
Hull City, on the other hand, appears to be fielding a full-strength squad. The match promises to be a test of endurance and tactical nous as both teams look to fine-tune their strategies before the competitive season kicks off.
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