Sunderland team preview: Top stars, smart options & potential flops

SUNDERLAND deserve enormous praise for what they achieved last season. The Black Cats earned promotion to the Premier League through the play-offs and most pundits tipped them to go straight back down but not only did they survive, they finished 7th to qualify for the Europa League. PLAY DREAM TEAM NOW: £100,000 PRIZE POT! Xhaka has led by example since his move to the Stadium of Light Credit: Alamy The addition of regular European commitments means Dream Team managers should give due consideration to Regis Le Bris’ players when formulating their strategy for the season ahead. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! Let’s take a closer look at Sunderland’s top stars, smart options and potential flops. TOP STARS Granit Xhaka (£3m) was a statement signing this time last year and his experience was a significant factor in Sunderland exceeding expectations. Rumours hinted at a reunion with former Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso at Chelsea but the Switzerland midfielder is now set to remain captain at the Stadium of the Light. Xhaka is arguably the first name on the teamsheet and has the ability to tick over in Dream Team as a set-piece taker. Nordi Mukiele (£3m) is pick of the defenders having chipped in with seven goal involvements in 32 league outings last season. Most read in Football Equally comfortable at centre-back or right-back, the former PSG man will fancy his chances of picking up where he left off as Sunderland are due to face Ipswich, Fulham and Brentford in their first three games — a relatively friendly start that might yield clean sheet points. Enzo Le Fee (£3m) earned more points than any of his team-mates in 2025/26 and is another midfielder who is considerably more viable now he has European fixtures in his diary. The mercurial Frenchman has enough attacking flair to register 15+ goal contributions this season. He may be an effective differential when the schedule favours him. Cult hero Credit: Getty SMART OPTIONS Robin Roefs (£3m) earned cult hero status among Dream Team bosses last season. The Dutchman quickly became the bargain goalkeeper of choice once it became apparent Le Bris’ side were a competitive outfit in the top flight. He kept 11 clean sheets via 114 saves but it was his early form that made him such a gem as he allowed gaffers to build budget swiftly. Roefs isn’t as cheap ahead of Gameweek 1 this time around but he’s still affordable and a repeat is not unthinkable. Alternatively, Trai Hume (£2.5m) is attractively priced as he appeared in all 38 league games last term. The Northern Ireland international is categorised as a defender but occasionally plays as a winger and might be a savvy option — though it’s worth noting that he picks up plenty of yellow cards. Dream Team’s striker pool isn’t as deep as usual and so it might be the case that managers opt to back somebody like Brian Brobbey (£3m) to offset the budget required for Erling Haaland (£8.5m). It sometimes seems like the ex-Ajax forward is more interested in fighting the opposition centre-backs but he is not to be underestimated, as evidenced by his return of three goals from four World Cup appearances earlier this summer. The Dutchman will fancy his chances of a fast start given his favourable fixtures across the first few Gameweeks. Play Dream Team this season! £100,000 in prize money up for grabs in 2026/27 Free to enter Play in Mini Leagues against your mates £60,000 jackpot for the overall winner £1,000 prize for winning Gameweek 1 PLAY DREAM TEAM NOW! Brobbey is an affordable option Credit: Shutterstock Editorial POTENTIAL FLOPS Brobbey is top of the pecking order these days which means fewer minutes for Wilson Isidor (£3m). The Haiti striker is valued by Le Bris but he simply can’t be considered a viable Dream Team punt having made 23 of 36 appearances as a substitute last season. More cynical Dream Team managers might consider the entire club of Sunderland a potential flop at this stage. Teams unaccustomed to the demands of European commitments often struggle with the increased workload. This time last year the Black Cats had just finished fourth in the Championship, 24 points behind Leeds and Burnley, now they’re a Europa League club. Their rapid transformation is something to be celebrated but it would be understandable if the task at hand proved challenging. That being said, they have proved many doubters wrong in recent times. Open to residents of UK and Rep of Ireland, 18+ only. T&Cs apply. Comment now