What games Habib Diarra will miss as Regis Le Bris confirms crushing Sunderland injury blow
Sunderland star Habib Diarra is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines at the Stadium of Light after he sustained a groin injury in training.
Diarra has undergone surgery on the groin issue, with the Senegalese midfielder now ruled out for over two months.
Diarra was ruled out of the Aston Villa match before kick-off, and Regis Le Bris will now be without his £30m record signing as Sunderland deal with a tough run of fixtures ahead.
Habib Diarra will miss key games vs Arsenal and Chelsea
Sunderland released a statement confirming that Diarra is set to return to action in December.
Diarra’s injury has come at an awful time as Sunderland have started to gain momentum in the Premier League.
The 1-1 draw against Aston Villa on Sunday leaves Sunderland with eight points in their first five games.
Diarra has been impressive for Sunderland, driving forward with the ball and linking up well with Chemsdine Talbi, Noah Sadiki and Granit Xhaka.
The 21-year-old could miss up to ten Premier League games, with those being:
- Nottingham Forest (27 September)
- Man United (4 October)
- Wolves (18 October)
- Chelsea (25 October)
- Everton (3 November)
- Arsenal (8 November)
- Fulham (22 November)
- Bournemouth (29 November)
- Liverpool (3 December – Doubt)
- Manchester City (6 December – Doubt)
Le Bris will not be happy with the news that has emerged from the Academy of Light and must turn to alternatives for the next few months.
With the African Cup of Nations also starting in December, his absence could go into 2026.
Chris Rigg to capitalise on Habib Diarra injury
Rigg made his Premier League debut against Villa, but was subbed off in the first half following Reinildo’s red card.
Rigg has made history on multiple occasions for the Mackems, becoming their youngest-ever outfield player at the age of 15.
His inclusion in the starting line-up came as a surprise, with many expecting the out-of-favour Dan Neil to cover in midfield.
Whilst this says a lot about Neil’s future at the club, it also shows the amount of faith that Le Bris has placed in Rigg.
He clearly has the potential to become one of the best midfielders in Europe, and Diarra’s injury could mean that the 18-year-old bursts onto the scene much sooner than expected.
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