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Sunderland have been handed a timely lift ahead of their trip to face Brighton at the Amex Stadium, with midfielder Habib Diarra set to re-enter the matchday picture after a prolonged injury lay-off.
The Senegal international is expected to be named among the substitutes as the Black Cats take on Albion, marking a significant step forward after spending close to three months sidelined following groin surgery. While Diarra is not yet ready to start, he could be introduced during the game as Sunderland look to gauge his readiness in a competitive setting.
If the midfielder comes through the outing without issues, the Brighton fixture would effectively bring his rehabilitation programme to a close. Diarra is then due to travel to Morocco to link up with Senegal’s squad for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Earlier reports suggested both Sunderland and Brighton would be missing a combined nine players for Saturday’s encounter due to suspensions and AFCON commitments, including seven who featured last weekend. At the time, Diarra was not counted among those absentees because he was still recovering from injury. However, his potential inclusion now raises the prospect of him featuring in some capacity after all.
Head coach Régis Le Bris confirmed that Diarra remains on schedule, stressing that the club has been working closely with national team staff to ensure a smooth transition. While the midfielder will not be rushed into the starting XI, being fit enough to take a place on the bench would demonstrate that he is ready for the demands ahead, both domestically and internationally.
Sunderland will still be without several key figures, with Noah Sadiki, Reinildo, Bertrand Traoré, Chemsdine Talbi and Arthur Masuaku all away on AFCON duty, while Luke O’Nien is suspended. There was encouragement, though, as captain Granit Xhaka emerged from the derby victory over Newcastle without collecting a fifth yellow card of the campaign.
Brighton, meanwhile, are also stretched, with Carlos Baleba away on international duty and both Lewis Dunk and Diego Gómez ruled out through one-match bans.
**Possible Sunderland XI:**
Roefs; Mukiele, Ballard, Alderete, Hume; Geertruida, Xhaka, Rigg; Adingra, Isidor, Le Fée.
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