Regis Le Bris axes defender as Eliezer Mayenda starts – Sunderland predicted XI vs Man City
Regis Le Bris may stick with a back four despite the threat posed by Man City.
Sunderland kickstart 2026 with a home encounter against Man City, who have won eight games on the bounce under Pep Guardiola.
The Black Cats have hit a fairly rough patch of form with just two wins in their last nine, though their unbeaten home run will givethem some faith that they can cause an upset on New Year’s Day.
However, to do so, Le Bris has several selection decisions to make, and one of them is in regard to Dennis Cirkin.
Sunderland to have defensive reshuffle vs Man City
With Dan Ballard injured until potentially February, and Reinildo at AFCON, Le Bris has very few options at the back.
That saw Cirkin make his Premier League debut against Leeds, and while his performance divided opinion, he certainly showcased a defensive weakness, which is to be expected after such a long absence.
However, his inclusion against Man City could result in a hammering given the form of Rayan Cherki, with Trai Hume expected to fill in in his place and Nordi Mukiele shift over to right-back.
Lutsharel Geertruida was excellent in midfield against Leeds, but he could drop back to partner Omar Alderete at the heart of the defence.
A midfield three of Granit Xhaka, Enzo Le Fee and Chris Rigg is possible, with the latter moving central, having featured wide-right most of this season.
Thus making way for the return of Elizer Mayenda.
Mayenda showcased why he must start vs Man City
His cameo against Leeds was only short, but Mayenda immediately tried to make things happen in transition, and that was after several weeks of no gametime.
One can only wonder the impact he could have in this team with regular minutes, and that may start against Man City on Thursday.
Simon Adingra opened his account against Leeds last time out, and he should be given the nod once again, with Brian Brobbey leading the line.
Brobbey has failed to score since the 2-2 draw with Arsenal, and will no doubt be eager to get his confidence back by scoring goals.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Sunderland news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account –@mackemnews247