Regis Le Bris’ Sunderland selection plan for Alkmaar game

Regis Le Bris will not be worrying about squad rotation or resting players when he names his Sunderland side for the club’s first European game in more than half-a-century tomorrow night.

The Black Cats host AZ Alkmaar at the Stadium of Light in their opening game of the Europa League’s league phase, ending a 53-year wait for a competitive European fixture, with the occasion set to be a hugely emotional one for the club and its supporters.

Tomorrow’s game comes between league matches against Arsenal and Manchester City, but while Le Bris has always acknowledged that the Premier League has to be Sunderland’s priority as they look to build on last season’s seventh-placed finish, he also accepts that the magnitude of the club’s return to continental competition means it is not a time to be tinkering with his team in order to reduce his players’ workload.

“Because it’s still early in the season, and the players are fresh, they can play,” said Le Bris. “They want to play because I think they want to play in this competition.

“They want to be involved in something new for the club. We hope the competition remains really interesting for us, and we will need more than 11 players to be competitive in both competitions [Europa League and Premier League].

“But for now, it’s possible for us to go strong. I think we want to go strong in both competitions, that’s important for our fans and for the club as well.”

After Sunday’s trip to the Etihad to face Manchester City, Sunderland’s players will head off for a three-week international break, which is another reason why Le Bris is not yet feeling a need to start worrying about match minutes and fitness levels.

“The energy within the squad is strong,” he said. “It’s still early in the season, so the players are not tired. The depth of the squad is getting better as well.

“We know we will need more than 11 players to be efficient and competitive over the course of the season, but I think all the players are looking forward to this kind of competition. It’s very obvious to see that.”