Regis Le Bris has suggested that Enzo Le Fee could continue on the left wing as Sunderland prepare to face Aston Villa on Sunday.
Le Fee, who missed the goalless draw with Crystal Palace due to a minor injury, is expected to return to the squad. The Frenchman is in contention to start out wide again after impressing in the 2-1 win over Brentford, where he converted a penalty.
The Sunderland boss admitted he had a “tough conversation” with Le Fee in pre-season after Granit Xhaka’s arrival pushed him out of central midfield. Despite the change, Le Bris insists there was never any doubt about the 25-year-old’s importance this season.
“Yeah, we don’t know [what his long-term position is],” Le Bris said. “We started the preseason like that, with Noah, Habib and Enzo [in central midfield], and I think we didn’t see the best version of Enzo at that minute. We spoke together.
“So when Granit came in the squad, it was obvious that it was the best decision at that minute. We had the conversation, it was tough, but it was clear and honest. And when the opportunity came off the left, because he used to play in this position before, it was easy for him.”
He added: ‘So, sometimes we have one idea, one ideal idea in our mind, and maybe it’s not the best on the pitch, because it’s just a theory, and the pitch will show something else. And maybe for this first part of the season, his best position, thinking about the connection with Granit, Noah, Rei, maybe it could be on the left side. He probably has a preference, but his main one is to play and for the team to win.”
Le Bris also praised Le Fee’s leadership and quality, stressing his influence in the squad.
“He knows that we trust him, he’s really important for the squad, he’s getting better day after day. His leadership and his technical level is really important for the squad, so now it’s just a question of the journey, and he will play.”
The coach highlighted how Le Fee’s ability to drift infield could give Sunderland an edge in attack.
“I think we have two different sides. One, the right side is a bit more positional, and the left side, with the players we have, probably we can be a bit more versatile, a bit more unpredictable for the opponent, but still predictable for us.
And we need different styles of play, so if it’s possible to manage the situation like that, being efficient in possession, but efficient out of possession as well, just after the turnovers, for example, it could be a strong point for us, yeah.”
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