Sunderland will be hoping to bring an end to a run of three straight draws when they travel to Millwall in the Championship this weekend.
Regis Le Bris‘ side are still top of the table but haven’t won a game this month, having been held by all of Queens Park Rangers, Preston, and, most recently, Coventry City. Speaking to the press ahead of the game against the Lions, Le Bris said that he and his side have used the recent international break to “take a step back and assess the season.”
“We are happy with our position, but we know there is a lot to work on. We have looked at our structure and philosophy, where we can improve.”
The Frenchman added that he expects the trip to Millwall, who have won all of their last four games in England’s second division by a scoreline of 1-0, to be tough.
“We know Millwall will be another tough test. They are in good form at the moment and it is an interesting challenge,” he explained. “We have prepared well, and we know the fans will back us once again. We are excited for the test.”
Sunderland without Mundle for Millwall after injury blow
If the Black Cats are to break their run of draws against Millwall, they’ll have to do it without one of their key men in Romaine Mundle.
The 21-year-old, on £5,000-a-week, has impressed with his performances on the wing this term, scoring four goals and assisting another two, but was dragged off during Sunderland’s 2-2 draw at home to Coventry before the international break with a hamstring injury.
Le Bris confirmed to the press that, as reported by The Sunderland Echo, as a result of the knock, the former Tottenham Hotspur youngster is now set to be sidelined for “six to eight weeks” which could see him miss 11 second-tier games, should the timeframe be eight weeks.
Games Romaine Mundle could miss for Sunderland | ||
Date | Opponent | H/A |
November 23 | Millwall | A |
November 26 | West Brom | H |
November 29 | Sheffield United | A |
December 7 | Stoke City | H |
December 10 | Bristol City | H |
December 14 | Swansea City | A |
December 21 | Norwich City | H |
December 26 | Blackburn Rovers | A |
December 29 | Stoke City | A |
January 1 | Sheffield United | H |
January 5 | Portsmouth | H |
Midfielder Alan Browne will also be out for a similar period of time, having suffered a fracture in his leg.
“You can never predict injuries in this game and it is unfortunate to see Romaine and Browney sidelined but we have trust in the rest of our squad to step in. We have quality throughout the squad. It is a long season and you have to rely on players to take their chance.”
Adil Aouchiche and Abdoullah Ba back in Sunderland squad
In Mundle and Browne’s absence, Le Bris did reveal that Adil Aouchiche and Abdoullah Ba are both now “ready for selection” for the trip to The Den. The two midfielders were important figures for Sunderland last year, but have barely featured since Le Bris took charge in the summer.
“They are in the first-team group. They were a little bit far from the main selection, but they trained properly, they played good with the U21s, and their mindsets are very good.”
