Regis Le Bris confirms latest Sunderland blow ahead of Arsenal clash
Sunderland will be without one of their star players when they face Arsenal this weekend.
Sunderland host Arsenal at the Stadium of Light this Saturday, in a game that will see Granit Xhaka face his former club in the Premier League for the first time since leaving in 2023.
Arsenal are the clear favourites to beat the Black Cats, and given their near-flawless start to the campaign, that will come as no surprise.
Ahead of the clash, Regis Le Bris has spoken to the press, and in doing so, he has confirmed that one player will be absent.
Omar Alderete set to miss Arsenal test
Reports from Paraguay stated this week that Omar Alderete would miss the Arsenal clash, having suffered a concussion injury that would rule him out until after the international break.
Since arriving from Getafe, Alderete has been outstanding for the Black Cats and has been a key component to the success that they have found so far this season.
In his press conference, Le Bris has confirmed that “he won’t be available this weekend” but should be back to face Fulham after the break.
Aside from that, it’s very much as you were for Sunderland, who have no more fresh injury concerns.
Habib Diarra’s return is expected in December, with Romaine Mundle also slowly edging his way back to match fitness.
Sunderland need to subdue Arsenal’s main threat
Whether it be Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, who was once on the books at Sunderland, or Declan Rice, Arsenal have an abundance of quality in their squad.
However, their man threat is arguable at the back, in the form of Gabriel.
The Brazilian is as dominant as they come in the air, and the Gunners will almost certainly look to utilise their strengths from set pieces, which have come in for criticism throughout the campaign.
Sunderland have Dan Ballard to try and battle against that, with Saturday’s clash almost certainly all going to be played in the Black Cats’ half for the large part.
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