SUNDERLAND boss Regis Le Bris is hoping he’s not in unknown territory when his Championship pacesetters face Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

Since arriving at the Stadium of Light, the workaholic Frenchman has spent hours assessing the squad he inherited both on the training ground and on video.

His diligence has been rewarded with the Black Cats enjoying their best start to the campaign in living memory.

But there’s one area Le Bris admits he’s very much in the dark about.

He hasn’t a clue how his charges will react in adversity.

For Sunderland’s start has been so impressive, not only doesn’t he know how they’d cope with defeat, the former Lorient coach is uncertain what may happen if they concede a goal.

They don’t just boast a 100 per cent record after wins over Cardiff, Sheffield Wednesday and Burnley,  Anthony Patterson’s net has not been breached in 270 minutes of league football.

Le Bris isn’t getting carried away and knows there will be bumps along the way.

But he’s in no hurry to experience the downside of management.

“I’m happy to wait before finding out about my players in defeat,” he said. “For sure, I know that will happen one day.

“But the way we work is not just about results, it is about performance and the way we play.

“We are focussed on improvement in all aspects.”

Perhaps the closing minutes of last Saturday’s win over Burnley did provide Le Bris with a glimpse of how his players might react in a backs-to-the-wall situation.

When skipper Dan Neil picked up his second yellow card, it left the hosts undermanned for the game’s finale.

But Sunderland dug deep and showed a side to their game which delighted the boss.

“It was clear to me that they did not want to concede a goal,” he said, reflecting on the only fraught period of his reign so far.

“I could feel the energy of the team.”

Aji Alese has been a cornerstone of the Black Cats’ watertight rearguard, dovetailing impressively alongside the experienced Luke O’Nien.

But he faces several weeks out after twisting his ankle in training which will mean a tweak to the backline for the first time this season.

Dan Ballard’s return to full fitness is both welcome and timely with the Northern Ireland international set to start his first game on the south coast.

And if he’s the obvious replacement for Alese, so too is ex-Preston midfielder Alan Browne for the suspended Neil.

Browne was expected to be a mainstay of the Sunderland engine room this season.

But when he was forced out of the Wednesday game a fortnight ago, Chris Rigg took his chance so impressively, the Irishman had to be content with a place on the bench against the Clarets.

He’ll occupy a deeper slot than he’s accustomed to against Pompey having played there several times at his previous club and for the Republic of Ireland.

Portsmouth boss John Mousinho thinks today's game will be the ultimate Championship test for his side.

He said: “You shouldn’t judge the league table too early in the season, but Sunderland have been the best side in the Championship so far.

“They beat Burnley at home, destroyed Sheffield Wednesday and also got a good victory at Cardiff on the opening day.

“There are some excellent young players at the club and they’re extremely well coached, with the new guy coming in and doing extremely well.

“When you match all those things up, it’s no surprise that they are coming to Fratton Park in really good form.

“There are mixed emotions, but I think we can be pretty pleased with where we are at this early stage.”

“We’ve had a difficult start on paper and this one is no different, so it should be a brilliant fixture for us."