Sunderland were left frustrated by their performance in the 2-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion at the Stadium of Light in the Premier League on Sunday.
The Black Cats were comfortably beaten in front of their own supporters despite playing against ten men in the second half, as Pascal Struijk was sent off for a foul on Wilson Isidor.
Regis Le Bris decided to go with the Haiti international as his starting centre-forward and the striker came off the pitch with no shots on target and only four completed passes in 90 minutes of action.
He was called upon by the French head coach because first-choice number nine Brian Brobbey picked up a hamstring injury on international duty with the Netherlands.
Why Sunderland need to be cautious with Brobbey
Hamstring injuries can be difficult for clubs to manage because being overworked and overplayed can significantly contribute to reoccurrence and rushing players back too soon can cause more issues in the mid-to-long term.
Brobbey started all five of the club’s first five Premier League matches and played every single minute fo the team’s last three matches before the international break.
After playing the full 90 in three successive games, the Dutchman started upfront for the Netherlands four days after his last appearance for the Black Cats and pulled up with a hamstring injury against Germany after just 35 minutes.
The Black Cats need to be cautious with Brobbey, who scored a hat-trick in his last outing against Man City, because they do not want to rush him back too soon and cause further issues.
Why losing Brobbey has been a huge blow for Sunderland
It would be understandable if Le Bris wanted to rush him back, because of the qualities that he brings to the pitch, but it is not worth the risk for Sunderland.
Losing Brobbey from the team has been a huge blow, as evidenced by the 2-0 defeat to Brighton, as he is the focal point of the team in the number nine position.
Since joining from Ajax for £17.3m last year, the 24-year-old marksman has scored ten Premier League goals in 36 appearances for Le Bris, whilst providing superb physicality as a target man.
|
Brobbey (PL) |
25/26 |
26/27 |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
31 |
5 |
|
xG |
5.94 |
2.94 |
|
Goals |
7 |
3 |
|
Big chances created |
2 |
1 |
|
Duels won per game |
3.6 |
4.6 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
38% |
38% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
47% |
68% |
Brobbey’s 68% success rate in aerial duels so far this season speaks to how important he is to the team as an outlet, as he can duel with and beat central defenders in physical contests to retain possession for the Black Cats.
Sunderland’s next Brobbey is warming the bench
Whilst Isidor has only scored one goal in six Premier League games and lost 68% of his duels, there is another striker in the squad who could take Brobbey’s place in the short-term.
Whilst the Dutchman continues to recover from a hamstring injury, Le Bris must unleash summer signing Juan Angulo to see if he can make the step-up to the English top-flight.
Sunderland signed the 18-year-old attacker from Independiente del Valle on deadline day for a fee of £5m, and he made his Premier League debut off the bench against Brighton on Saturday.
His senior bow for the Black Cats came just days after he scored his first international goal for Ecuador, as he scored against Panama in his third cap for his country earlier this month.
Prior to signing for Sunderland on deadline day, the 6 foot 4 teenager won 43% of his duels across 15 appearances in the LigaPro Serie A this year, which is the same percentage of duels that Brobbey won in the Premier League last term.
|
2026 LigaPro Serie A |
Juan Angulo |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
15 |
|
Starts |
7 |
|
Goals |
6 |
|
Minutes per goal |
117 |
|
Conversion rate |
29% |
|
Big chances created |
3 |
|
Assists |
3 |
|
Duel success rate |
43% |
The towering youngster is an intimidating presence in the centre-forward position, due to his height and strength, and could offer similar physical qualities to Brobbey up front for Le Bris.
His goal return for his form club, scoring six goals in seven starts, also suggests that the potential is there for him to carry an impressive goal threat if he can adjust to Premier League football.
There is no guarantee that all of his attributes will translate perfectly over to English football, but Le Bris must now give Angulo a chance to show what he can do in Brobbey’s absence, as Isidor has not been effective enough.
He has been warming the bench since arriving on Wearside, with no starts for the club, and it is now time for the Ecuador international to be thrown in at the deep end.
