Régis Le Bris
Sunderland are set to resume their Premier League campaign with a challenging fixture against Everton at the Stadium of Light on Monday. Head coach Régis Le Bris has hinted at the possibility of reverting to a back four formation for this crucial encounter. This follows Sunderland’s recent success with a back five against Chelsea, where they secured a notable victory. However, Le Bris emphasized that the formation change is not set in stone, as the team continues to adapt tactically to different opponents and situations.
Régis Le Bris said: “I don’t know yet, we’ll see. For Chelsea, yeah, I think before, in the beginning of the season, we used often this back five for deep block, for example using Granit who dropped into the back four, but for this game at Chelsea, it was obvious that because of their quality, we decided to press high, then to remove the mid block and to go deeper with a deep block with a back five, which worked well I think. So now for Everton it will be a new story, a new challenge, we’ll see. Playing at home doesn’t really make a difference [to the formation], because it will be another tough challenge, so after that you have to decide according to the players we have, the availability and the opponent, what will be the best plan, but we’ll see.”
Le Bris continued: “Yes, absolutely. I think we played before with a back five so I’m not sure that it was a real surprise. But for us, it’s important to manage different shapes against different opponents, different moments during the game as well and different phases because we can play with a back five in the deep block, the mid-block, change the structure in the mid-block, defend differently, higher up the pitch.”
Le Bris has been focusing on enhancing Sunderland’s tactical flexibility, which he believes is crucial in their battle to avoid relegation. The ability to switch formations during a game allows the team to adapt to various challenges posed by different opponents.
In addition to formation considerations, Sunderland’s squad is also seeing some positive developments on the injury front. Régis Le Bris confirmed that both Omar Alderete and Simon Adingra are in contention to return to the matchday squad against Everton. Alderete, who missed the Chelsea game due to concussion protocols, and Adingra, sidelined with muscle tightness, have both returned to training. Le Bris expressed optimism about their availability, although Alderete remains a doubt until he clears the concussion protocols.
Le Bris said: “He’s getting better, trained normally with the squad this morning, he’s on the way. He is still a doubt for Everton because he is in the concussion protocols, but we hope that he will be out of them tomorrow [on Saturday]. Simon Adingra missed the Chelsea game because he had a small hamstring injury, but it was not serious. He missed one weekend but he is available.”
Additionally, Dan Neil, who suffered a minor concussion in training, is expected to be available for selection against Everton, providing a further boost to Sunderland’s options.
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