"A big strength" - Sunderland AFC: Regis Le Bris explains Patrick Roberts decision after Preston draw | OneFootball

Le Bris has explained his decision to leave Roberts out of the starting lineup at Deepdale on Wednesday evening.

Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris reinforced the importance of using all of his squad and managing Patrick Roberts' minutes, following Wednesday evening's clash against Preston North End.

These comments were made to the Northern Echo after he was quizzed on why he didn't include key man Roberts in his first 11 against the Lilywhites.

The Black Cats were already heading into this game with a weakened team, with Jobe Bellingham suspended after being sent off against Queens Park Rangers this past weekend.

Anthony Patterson was also on the sidelines for the game in Lancashire, and with this in mind, Le Bris would have been expected to field the best possible team in the pair's absence.

The clash at Deepdale would have been seen as a winnable one for the Wearside outfit, considering PNE have struggled for much of the season and aren't too far away from the drop zone.

Le Bris' side, meanwhile, remain top of the table and may have fancied themselves to get on the scoresheet numerous times despite their goalless draw at Loftus Road on Saturday.

However, they were held to another 0-0 draw, and many fans will be ruing the fact that Roberts didn't start the game, considering he made a decent impact when he came on as a substitute.

Roberts has been exceptional again at times this season, showing real quality out wide and proving to be a real game-changer for the Black Cats, even though his goal contributions stats haven't matched former teammate Jack Clarke's in recent years.

Regis Le Bris explains Patrick Roberts decision after Sunderland draw

Sunderland fans may feel that, in hindsight, Le Bris may have started Roberts if he had the opportunity to pick his lineup for Wednesday's game again.

But it doesn't seem as though the Black Cats' boss had any regrets, explaining his decision to bench Roberts to the Northern Echo.

The Frenchman said: "It's a long league with many games in a week.

"We have to manage the team and squad and give opportunities to other players. We need all our players in the best shape.

"When we start without Patrick, it's very important to keep the ball and give time to the others.

"We know it's a big strength that we miss for sure but it was expected that the last 30 minutes was for him and we changed the dynamic of the game at the moment.

"I repeat, we need a big squad and everyone playing their part."

Many Sunderland supporters will understand Regis Le Bris' thinking over Patrick Roberts

With Patterson already out, it wouldn't have been ideal if they had lost another key first-teamer, especially with Bellingham suspended.

With this in mind, it's no shock that Le Bris decided to rest Roberts, who has played plenty of football already this season.

Many fans will understand Le Bris' reasoning, even though having the winger on the pitch for the full 90 minutes may have increased their chances of winning at Deepdale.

It's easier to keep fans on side when you're doing well - and Le Bris has performed brilliantly as manager so far this season.

It may have been harder for him to have justified his decision on Roberts if he had been doing poorly.