Regis Le Bris is confident the worry of a one-match ban will not hang over his players
Granit Xhaka of Sunderland is shown a yellow card by referee Tom Bramall
Granit Xhaka of Sunderland is one yellow card away from a one-match ban
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Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris has played down the worry of a one-match ban for two of his key players, but admits it will be on their minds ahead of this week's Premier League double-header.
Captain Granit Xhaka and midfielder Noah Sadiki have both picked up four yellow cards for the season already, which means one more will incur an automatic one-match ban.
Sunderland travel to face Liverpool at Anfield tonight, before another testing trip against Manchester City at the Etihad on Saturday, and then the Wear-Tyne derby against Newcastle United on Sunday, December 14.
It means if either are booked against Liverpool they will miss the game at Man City - but if they are cautioned at the weekend then they will be ruled out of the North East showdown at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland were boosted by the news that the players due to take part in the African Cup of Nations will be allowed to play in the derby before joining up with their countries on December 15, but they can ill-afford to lose someone of Xhaka's influence for such a big game.
It's something Le Bris was keen to play down, but he acknowledged it will inevitably be on the players' minds in the coming games.
"Yes, we have Noah and Granit in this situation, so we spoke with them," Le Bris said ahead of tonight's game at Liverpool. "It's not a new situation. So they try to manage the situation properly. We'll see how it goes.
"For the derby, which is probably one of the most important features of the whole season, they have this idea in their mind.
"But at the same time, if we can win points before and we have a strong squad, we'll manage the situation. So it's not a big, big topic at the minute."
Sunderland also have Reinildo and Trai Hume on three yellow cards, but they would have to be booked in both games against Liverpool and Man City to miss the derby.
Le Bris was delighted to have his African contigent available for the derby, but insists he has confidence in his squad to cope with their eventual absence.
"It's good news for the team and for this fixture especially," he added. "We have a strong group, and that's good because we don't have any injuries and the players who haven't played much before will have opportunities to play.
"They can contribute as well because the group is powerful with different options.
"I trust the quality of this group. We started with 12, 13, 14 main players as starters but the others behind the scenes are working hard and they’ve shown good qualities before. The dynamic is really positive.
"They can show that they can contribute even for a short period, so I'm not too concerned. They know the rules and sometimes they can get frustrated, which is normal, but at the same time, they know the level and will be ready."