Eight doubts and Seven OUT, including Vicario as Early Tottenham/Sunderland Injury WOES outlined

Sunderland return to Premier League action on Sunday afternoon as they host Tottenham Hotspur at the Stadium of Light (2pm kick-off).

The match carries major importance for the Black Cats following their dramatic Tyne-Wear derby comeback, with the hosts eager to prove their top-ten credentials and strengthen their push for European qualification. For Spurs, the objective is equally clear — securing crucial points to pull away from the relegation zone. It also marks the beginning of a new era under Roberto De Zerbi, who takes charge of his first game after replacing Igor Tudor, having enjoyed a full week on the training ground with his squad.

Both teams received a boost ahead of the international break with the return of several key players. After further time to recover and train, Reinildo, Enzo Le Fée, and Nordi Mukiele are all expected to feature more prominently for Sunderland. Meanwhile, Spurs could welcome back Conor Gallagher, João Palhinha, and Lucas Bergvall, all of whom are now pushing for significant involvement following injury layoffs. However, both sides still have notable injury concerns and will be without some important figures.

Latest team news:

Guglielmo Vicario – major doubt
Vicario underwent surgery for a pre-existing hernia issue during the recent break. Although he is expected to return later this month, Sunday’s fixture may come too soon. If he is unavailable, Antonín Kinský could make his first appearance since being substituted in the first half of Spurs’ Champions League defeat to Atlético Madrid.

Mathys Tel – available
The forward suffered an injury in the loss to Nottingham Forest before the break but has since returned to training and is expected to be available.

Dan Ballard – major doubt
Ballard missed both the Tyne-Wear derby and Northern Ireland’s play-off defeat to Italy due to a hamstring problem, indicating the injury was not minor. While he has had around a month to recover, Sunderland may remain cautious over his involvement.

Robin Roefs – doubt
Roefs has also been recovering from a hamstring injury, which ruled him out of the derby. After roughly five weeks on the sidelines, there is growing optimism he could return this weekend, although his availability remains uncertain.