If Sunderland are to emulate their success from last season’s edition of the Premier League, manager Regis Le Bris will have to pull off some remarkable work in the months ahead.
The Black Cats’ ability to qualify for the Europa League last term was beyond any of the supporters’ wildest imagination after years in the wilderness in the EFL.
However, featuring in such a competition will only add more strain on the senior ranks and will undoubtedly test the squad depth at the Stadium of Light.
We’re only a handful of games into the 2026/27 campaign, but the effects of the fixture congestion are already starting to take their toll on the club’s senior squad.
Why losing Brobbey could derail Sunderland’s progress in 2026/27
Within the first five league games of the new campaign, Sunderland have only tasted victory once, but there’s no denying striker Brian Brobbey has been their shining light.
The Dutch international has started all five of the Black Cats’ games in England’s top-flight to date, subsequently sitting at the very top of the club’s goalscoring charts.
His hat-trick against Manchester City in the final game before the break was evidence of his top-class quality within attacking areas – which has no doubt made him Le Bris’ most important forward.
However, during his recent international clash with Germany, the 24-year-old limped off with a suspected hamstring issue, which could see him miss a chunk of action in the Premier League.
Losing the centre-forward would be yet another mega blow for Le Bris, as the Dutchman offers more than just his goalscoring, which is seen in his stats from the current campaign.
Brobbey’s dominant and aggressive nature has been a huge asset for Sunderland in recent months, with the former Ajax man winning 69% of his aerial duels this campaign.
|
Sunderland top scorers since promotion |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Player |
2025/26 |
2026/27 |
Total |
|
Brian Brobbey |
7 |
3 |
10 |
|
Wilson Isidor |
6 |
1 |
7 |
|
Enzo Le Fée |
5 |
1 |
6 |
|
Chemsdine Talbi |
4 |
0 |
4 |
|
Nordi Mukiele |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
Habib Diarra |
2 |
0 |
2 |
|
Eliezer Mayenda |
2 |
0 |
2 |
|
Daniel Ballard |
2 |
0 |
2 |
|
Trai Hume |
2 |
0 |
2 |
His tally of 2.1 fouls won per 90 also comes as a result of his ability to bully the opposition, resulting in the attacker ranking in the top 20% of all attackers in Europe for the aforementioned figures.
How Le Bris can solve Sunderland’s Brobbey injury blow
The most obvious choice to fill the void in the absence of Brobbey is fellow striker Wilson Isidor, with the Haitian international champing at the bit for a starting role once again.
The 26-year-old has been forced to settle for a place on the bench in all five league games this term, but has still managed to find the back of the net against Fulham.
However, such a goal has often papered over the cracks of his disappointing displays, with the forward still unable to emulate his success from the promotion-winning campaign.
As a result, Le Bris should be exploring other options to lead the line, which could see new addition Malick Fofana handed a chance to star at the top end of the pitch.
The winger, who arrived from Lyon during the closing stages of the window for £30m, was brought in to add needed pace and quality to the club’s forward department.
Whilst he undoubtedly prefers to operate off the left-hand side of the attack, the 21-year-old does have experience of operating in a false nine position during his time in France.
He would be a completely different option to the physically dominant Brobbey, but his electric pace could well be perfect off the shoulder of the last defender.
His stats from his final campaign at Lyon demonstrate his ability to star in such a role, which could see him operate as the Black Cats’ makeshift centre-forward after the break.
Fofana managed to register an impressive tally of 1.1 shots on target in Ligue 1 last campaign, with such a figure ranking him above 83% of forwards across Europe’s top-five leagues.
Such a figure, coupled with his 47% shot-on-target accuracy rate, demonstrates his excellent ability to trouble the goalkeeper – something which will be lacking in Brobbey’s absence.
The Belgian may possess a smaller frame than the Dutchman, but he’s still been able to be effective in duels against the opposition – as seen by his remarkable 54% success rate last term.
The aforementioned figure ranked him in the top 9% of forwards in France’s top-flight last campaign, which showcases he’s able to put himself about and cause the opposition endless problems.
Losing Brobbey for an extended period will be a bitter blow for Le Bris and the supporters, with the centre-forward arguably one of the club’s most important players.
However, his setback could well provide the platform for Fofana to ignite his career in the North East and showcase why the hierarchy spent so heavily to secure his signature.