Diarra, Reinildo & Cirkin: Sunderland injuries latest and expected return dates ahead of Man United
The latest expected return dates for all of Sunderland's absent first team players after Regis Le Bris updates.
Sunderland are now four games unbeaten in the Premier League following their latest win over Nottingham Forest, keeping them firmly inside the top ten of the table.
The Black Cats have moved into fifth thanks to their City Ground victory, which came courtesy of a lone Omar Alderete goal. With 11 points on the board, the newly promoted Lads are level on points with Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth, and ahead of the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea.
It’s been a very impressive start to the Premier League campaign for Sunderland. With just one defeat on the board so far, Regis Le Bris and co will hope to keep this form running for as long as possible.
Their next challenge will be Manchester United this weekend at Old Trafford. We’ve taken an early look at the Black Cats’ injury and absence updates ahead of Saturday’s clash.
When will Habib Diarra be back for Sunderland?
Based on Le Bris’ most recent updates on each player, it’s unlikely Sunderland will see any of their absent players back before the international break.
Club record transfer Habib Diarra has been ruled out until December after undergoing surgery on a groin injury. The Black Cats confirmed the timeline earlier this month in a club statement. The Black Cats will be without midfielder Habib Diarra, who is sidelined until December with a groin injury. During the pre-Nottingham Forest updates, Le Bris admitted he is ‘not worried’ about his current injury situation but said it is ‘a shame’ for an important player like Diarra.
Ahead of the Crystal Palace game, the manager confirmed Romaine Mundle is ‘targeting a return around the next international break’ from his hamstring injury, which could see him back in action against Wolves. The winger is yet to feature for Sunderland this season and will be eager to get his first minutes in the bank.
How long is Reinildo suspended for?
In the same press conference, Le Bris also discussed Dennis Cirkin, Leo Hjelde and Aji Alese. Luke O’Nien has since returned to the match-day squad.
“It’s a bit longer than expected for the others. For Dennis, we have to wait a bit. He didn’t heal completely after his wrist injury, and he had an issue with his knee as well. So he needs to rest a bit. Leo struggled with his achilles, so it’s a bit longer than expected as well. Aji is close to coming back but after a long period without playing, it’s still tough to reconnect with the level. So we’ll have to wait a bit.”
With Mundle looking at a post-international break return, Cirkin, Hjelde and Alese are expected to be slightly after him. Along with the injured players, Sunderland will also be without Reinildo, who is serving a three-match suspension following his red card incident against Aston Villa. The 31-year-old will not be back in contention for the tea until after the international break.