Regis Le Bris has been asked about the decision to rest Wilson Isidor and what it means for Eliezer Mayenda’s game time from here on out.
The switch worked perfectly last Friday night for Sunderland, with Eliezer Mayenda being the star of the show at Hillsborough, bagging both goals in a 2-1 win for the Black Cats.
Now, as Sunderland prepare to face Cardiff City this weekend, all eyes will be on Regis Le Bris and the lineup for the game.
Will the Frenchman put Wilson Isidor back in, or keep faith in the young Mayenda? The Sunderland manager has had his say on that particular selection headache.
Regis Le Bris suggests he can only start one striker at a time
While Le Bris has toyed with his formation throughout the season, but appears to prefer a 4-5-1 structure as opposed to the 4-4-2 we’ve seen at times.
Speaking to the press today (via the Sunderland YouTube channel), Le Bris was asked about Mayenda’s ‘outstanding’ display against Wednesday and what his thinking is in terms of the strikers at his disposal.
Le Bris said: “It is good news to have two good strikers. They are doing well together, they play together sometimes, but they are well connected.
“We are lucky to have them both, with two different styles of play and personalities. They are pushing one another… they are hard workers, it’s very positive for me and the club to have them available.”
When pushed on the idea of reintroducing an Isidor and Mayenda partnership, Le Bris was hesitant to commit, and appeared to suggest he can’t use both players at the same time.
He added: “It’s possible to play them together, yes, but we have 11 games left and we have to manage our small squad… at the minute I am more in the mindset to manage everyone, rather than putting everyone on the pitch. It’s important to finish well this season, and to refresh the team.”
Eliezer Mayenda should keep his place vs Cardiff City
Mayenda proved his worth last time out, and then some, and with Cardiff City struggling this season, you would hope that Le Bris can afford to keep Isidor on the bench for another week and let his young Spanish talent thrive instead.
Sunderland fans love Mayenda already after his antics at Hillsborough, and getting him in front of a buzzing crowd at the Stadium of Light and full of confidence could be absolutely lethal from a Cardiff perspective.
| Statistics | Eliezer Mayenda | Wilson Isidor |
| Appearances | 28 | 32 |
| Minutes | 1,651 | 2,451 |
| Goals | 6 | 12 |
| Assists | 5 | 1 |
There are bigger, more challenging games to come, in which Isidor will play a key part. But surely, against a team battling relegation, Sunderland can afford to keep their star striker in reserve and should only need to break glass in case of emergency.
Either way, Sunderland have great options to lean on here, and should punish a weak Cardiff side.