Boost for Le Bris: £15k-p/w Sunderland ace available after new injury update Ahead of the meeting with the Rams
Sunderland and head coach Regis Le Bris have received a boost with the latest update on a £15,000-a-week player.
### Sunderland’s Championship Performance
The Black Cats started the Championship season strong, winning their first four matches. Despite recent away defeats to Plymouth Argyle and Watford, sandwiching a home victory over Middlesbrough, they still sit on 15 points after seven games.
Reflecting on the loss at Vicarage Road, Le Bris expressed disappointment, saying, “We wanted to win every game. The first 25 minutes were tough against their offensive setup with our 4-4-2 formation. We switched to a 5-4-1 shape, which worked well, and we began to dominate after going behind. We created good chances and managed to equalize, but we made two mistakes against a strong team, which cost us the game.”
### Upcoming Matches
Sunderland’s schedule remains busy with back-to-back home matches against Derby County and Leeds United before the international break.
### Injury Updates
Ahead of the Derby match, Le Bris confirmed that Dan Ballard and Eliezer Mayenda will remain sidelined due to injury. However, Alan Browne, who missed the last two games with a knee issue sustained against Plymouth, is set to return.
“Alan Browne will be available, but Eliezer and Dan aren’t. We expect them back after the international break,” Le Bris noted.
Browne, who joined from Preston North End this summer, has made four appearances and scored his first goal in a 3-1 victory over Portsmouth. His teammate Dan Neil praised Browne, calling him “unbelievable” and highlighting his impressive work rate.
“Alan has an incredible engine. We’ve noticed it from our previous encounters with Preston. He brings valuable experience, helping us as younger players,” Neil added. “He’s a strong leader on the pitch and has quality in possession. He linked up well with Trai and Pat on the right side, and I’m sure we’ll see more of that as the season progresses.”
