Sadiki, Alderete & Cirkin: Latest Sunderland injury news and expected return dates ahead of Wolves clash
The latest Sunderland injury news - with updates on Noah Sadiki, Omar Alderete and Dennis Cirkin.
Sunderland return to Premier League action with a game against Vitor Pereira’s struggling Wolves side at the Stadium of Light this Saturday – but the Black Cats will be without several key players through injury.
Two of Sunderland’s most impressive players in the opening months of the season, Noah Sadiki and Omar Alderete, both sustained injuries while on international duty and could miss this weekend’s match, while five more players are sidelined with a variety of fitness concerns.
We’ve got all the latest Sunderland injury news and updates below ahead of the game against Wolves, along with the absent players’ expected return dates when available.
Are Noah Sadiki and Omar Alderete injured for Sunderland?
The international break claimed two victims on Wearside – midfielder Noah Sadiki and defender Omar Alderete both facing fitness checks ahead of this weekend’s game.
The impressive Sadiki withdrew from the Democratic Republic of Congo squad on Monday after spraining his ankle during a World Cup qualifying game against Sudan - and while initial reports suggested that there was a strong chance that he missed a small amount of time, it now appears as if he will be able to play against Wolves after all.
"We checked Noah yesterday and he seems okay,” Le Bris told the media during his pre-match press conference. “We will see after the training sessions, today and tomorrow, if he will be available for this weekend - but we are positive. It's still possible that his injury is worse than we think but, at the minute, he is OK.”
Alderete, meanwhile, was hurt on Paraguay duty and was substituted late on during a friendly game against South Korea with what has been described by a South American journalist as a “posterior muscle overload in his thigh,” which sounds a lot like a hamstring issue. The actual prognosis is still not clear, however, and he will be assessed on Friday. His matchday status remains unclear.
Dennis Cirkin and Romaine Mundle edging towards comebacks
Sunderland have five players who will certainly be absent through injury against Wolves, as well as a sixth – full-back Reinildo Mandava – who is serving the final game of a three-match suspension after he received a red card against Aston Villa.
Among those who could be closing in on a return are left-back Dennis Cirkin (wrist) and midfielder Romaine Mundle (thigh). Le Bris has been tight-lipped on exact return dates but they should back in action before the next international break. Early November is an optimistic but plausible target for both players, neither of whom have registered an appearance yet this season after playing critical roles in Sunderland’s promotion campaign last season.
Aji Alese (shoulder) and Leo Hjelde (Achilles) could also return in early November after lengthy lay-offs of their own. Le Bris has stressed in previous interviews that the club will be patient as the players work to rebuild their fitness, but they should also be available prior to the next round of international fixtures.
Sunderland fans will, however, have to wait a little longer before Habib Diarra makes his comeback from a groin injury. The Senegal international is not expected to be available until December following successful surgery. An exact date has not been set but the summer signing is not close to a return to training.