Régis Le Bris picks strong Sunderland XI to face Liverpool in Nashville | OneFootball

Régis Le Bris has named a strong Sunderland side to face Liverpool in Nashville on Sunday night, with Wilson Isidor, Dan Ballard and Romaine Mundle handed first pre-season starts.

Isidor replaces Trey Ogunsuyi, with Mundle in for Timur Tutierov. Ballard’s return moves Nordi Mukiele to right back and Trai Hume to the right wing, where he finished last season. Sunderland Echo reports that Jocelin Ta Bi is absent from the tour after a visa rejection, with an appeal ongoing.

Brian Brobbey, Nilson Angulo, Habib Diarra, Robin Roefs, Simon Adingra, Arthur Masuaku and Noah Sadiki are not involved and will link up tomorrow as the tour moves on. Granit Xhaka, Chemsdine Talbi, Omar Alderete and Thomas Meunier are set to join later in pre-season back on Wearside.

Sunderland have a 26-strong squad in the city, and a more youthful XI is expected to feature in the second half. Kick-off is at 11pm BST.

Sunderland XI: Ellborg, Mukiele, Ballard, O’Nien, Reinildo, Browne, Rigg, Le Fée, Hume, Mundle, Isidor.

Andoni Iraola takes charge of his first match as Liverpool boss, naming a youthful XI with many seniors on a post World Cup break. Dominik Szoboszlai is on the bench and could feature later, new signing Jérémy Jacquet is not in the squad, and former Sunderland academy midfielder James McConnell starts.

Liverpool: Mamardashvili, Frimpong, Gomez, N’Diaye, Tsimikas, Jones, Elliott, McConnell, Ngumoha, Wright, Morrison. Subs: Woodman, Davies, Kerkez, Szoboszlai, Chiesa, Abe, Nyoni, Chambers, Ramsay, Scanlon, Koumas, Sonni-Lambie, Ndukwe.

Source: Sunderland Echo