Sunderland AFC: Regis Le Bris clarifies Aaron Connolly situation ahead of Derby County clash

Régis Le Bris has confirmed that Aaron Connolly will not be available for Sunderland until after the upcoming October international break.

Connolly completed a move to the Stadium of Light as a free agent last week.

The Republic of Ireland international was available following his departure from Hull City at the end of his contract last summer.

Injury issues plagued his time with the Tigers, leading to him playing 28 times in the Championship last season, including only 13 starts (all stats from Fbref).

The forward has been training with the Sunderland first team squad since completing his switch to the Wearside outfit, but is now unlikely to feature until the middle of next month.

Régis Le Bris clarifies Connolly fitness stance

Le Bris has opened up on the situation surrounding Connolly’s fitness, clarifying that he is currently available to play.

However, he is not willing to rush the forward into the team straight away, meaning he won’t feature midweek against Derby County, or against Leeds United on Friday night.

“That’s still the case [that Connolly won’t feature before the international break],” said Le Bris, via The Northern Echo.

“He’s fit, so that’s good news.

“During training this week he’s shown his qualities technically but also physically as well.

“I don’t think we’ll rush that prospect.

“We’ll see, maybe it could be possible, but I’m not sure we will use this possibility.”

The Sunderland head coach also confirmed that Alan Browne will be back in contention to feature against the Rams on Tuesday night.

But Eliezer Mayenda and Dan Ballard will remain on the sidelines, as they continue their recovery from injury.

This comes as a blow to the Black Cats, who lost last time out to Watford 2-1, which saw them miss out on the chance to reclaim top spot in the Championship.

Sunderland league position following 2-1 Watford defeat

Sunderland’s 2-1 loss to Watford on Saturday left the team sitting second in the table after the first seven games.

Goals from Festy Ebosele and Tom Dele-Bashiru consigned Le Bris’ side to their second loss of the campaign.

The only positive of the defeat came through Wilson Isidor, who bagged his first goal for the club since joining on loan during the summer transfer window.

Next up for Sunderland is a home game against Derby on Tuesday night at the Stadium of Light in a 7.45pm kick-off.

Sunderland AFC caution with Aaron Connolly needed after summer of inaction

Taking a more cautious approach with Connolly is the smart move, as it gives him more time to settle into the club, and prove he is fully match fit.

While Mayenda’s absence midweek will hurt the team, Le Bris is doing well to avoid reacting by throwing the Irishman straight into the starting lineup.

Spending more time getting to know the team, and the style of play, could prove more beneficial in the long-run instead of potentially risking a fresh injury.

The signing of Connolly could prove a shrewd move given his goal-scoring record at this level, but managing his minutes will be key to ensuring they get the best out of him this season – especially as he doesn’t have a pre-season under his belt, so he may need to take a few weeks to get up to match sharpness, which the international break should help with.