Regis Le Bris confirms major injury to ‘huge threat’ ahead of Sunderland vs Aston Villa
Sunderland would have been hoping to have all of their players fit and fighting for Aston Villa.
The Black Cats have been superb at home, having already defeated West Ham and Brentford in the Premier League.
Regis Le Bris’ side welcome Aston Villa to the Stadium Light, in what should be their toughest home game of the season so far.
Rumours were circulating before the match that a star player could be missing, and Le Bris has now confirmed the worst possible news.
Regis Le Bris confirms Habib Diarra injury for Sunderland vs Aston Villa
Sunderland can make history by beating Aston Villa, as it would be the first time that they have won their opening three home games of the campaign since 1965.
Their opponents have been struggling, having failed to score a single league goal, but they must not be underestimated.
Indeed, Unai Emery described Sunderland as a ‘difficult’ opponent as his side chase their first win of the season.
All eyes were on Le Bris’ team sheet, and there was a standout absentee from his starting XI, which can only be described as a blow.
That is because Habib Diarra is nowhere to be seen, while Chris Rigg makes his first Premier League start as a surprise inclusion.
- Diarra has started all of Sunderland’s Premier League games
- Rigg has come on as a substitute twice
“He [Diarra] got an injury yesterday in training, so we’ll have to wait for the diagnosis. A muscle injury,” he told Premier League reporter Andy Sixsmith on 21 September.
“A real opportunity for Chris Rigg – young player who deserves this opportunity.”
https://x.com/andysixsmithtv/status/1969734488910434539Habib Diarra will be a huge miss for Regis Le Bris
Diarra became Sunderland’s record signing, having joined from RC Strasbourg for £30million in the summer.
While it would be tough to single out one particular player for praise, the midfielder has certainly been one of the Wearsiders’ star performers.
In the opening game against West Ham, the 21-year-old was offered significant praise by Match of the Day pundit Wayne Rooney.
“Diarra was a huge threat all game, his runs forward, his energy,” Rooney said on 16 August.
“There was a lot of energy about Sunderland in general all afternoon.”
While supporters will be curious to see how Rigg performs, the news regarding Diarra can only be seen as a setback.
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