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Sunderland manager Régis Le Bris has suggested Roma loanee Enzo Le Fée is likely to play an increasingly central role in the club’s final push for promotion, though he remains cautious about rushing the midfielder back into the starting XI ahead of Friday’s pivotal clash against Bristol City.
The Black Cats recently secured a spot in the Championship play-offs with a goalless draw at Norwich, but their 1-0 home defeat to Swansea City days later exposed key issues in creativity and attacking flow—problems that were only partially addressed after Le Fée’s introduction in the second half.
Le Fée, who joined Sunderland on loan from Roma in January, made an instant impression with a string of influential performances but has missed several weeks due to a muscle injury sustained in February’s defeat to Hull. With Sunderland’s push for automatic promotion hanging by a thread — and set to be mathematically ended if they fail to beat Bristol City — fans are calling for Le Fée’s return to the starting line-up.
Le Bris acknowledged that the French playmaker significantly improved Sunderland’s attacking presence against Swansea, saying: “We don’t want to rush the process. He played 30 minutes (against Swansea) and will probably play a bit more at the end of the week. Slowly and gradually, we will have the best result possible.”
The Sunderland boss admitted the team had little choice but to rely heavily on Le Fée earlier in the season due to injuries on the left wing. “It wasn’t possible to build Enzo gradually when he first arrived. The left side was completely open, and he played many games. It wasn’t possible to manage his minutes, and we don’t want to repeat that. I wouldn’t say it was a mistake, but we have a different opportunity now.”
Supporters see Le Fée as a potential game-changer during the play-offs — someone capable of injecting the missing creativity to unlock opposition defences. His vision and technical ability are viewed as critical components in Sunderland’s promotion bid, especially given the dip in form from some of their key attacking players.
**Le Fée’s Return Could Spark Revival in Wilson Isidor**
Among those who could benefit most from Le Fée’s resurgence is striker Wilson Isidor, whose once-prolific form has evaporated in recent weeks. After scoring 12 goals earlier in the season, Isidor has now gone nine matches without finding the net. His ineffective outing against Swansea, where he registered the fewest touches of any player and was caught offside four times in the first half, highlighted his ongoing struggles.
Isidor’s style — relying on sharp movement and pace to exploit defensive gaps — is heavily dependent on consistent service from midfield, something Sunderland have lacked in Le Fée’s absence. Le Bris will be hoping that reuniting the two Frenchmen on the pitch will reignite the connection that helped propel Isidor into the Championship’s early Golden Boot conversation.
As Sunderland prepare for a vital run of fixtures that could determine their return to the Premier League, Le Fée’s fitness and form may very well be the decisive factor in whether the Black Cats can transform potential into promotion.
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