Regis Le Bris Credit: Imago
Leeds United and Sunderland look set to defy the recent pattern of promoted sides dropping straight back down, with both clubs pushing to secure Premier League survival this season.
The two teams have defied expectations this season, and Gary Neville has outlined what they have done differently compared to the poor performances of promoted teams in recent years.
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They are set to face off again in the Premier League in the coming days when Sunderland travel to Yorkshire to take on Leeds at Elland Road on Tuesday night.
Sunderland finished 24 points behind Leeds in the Championship last season, but are now five points ahead of the Whites. However, the away side are dealing with a mini injury crisis ahead of the big game.
Six Sunderland stars are set to miss the Leeds trip
The Black Cats take on Bournemouth this weekend before heading to Elland Road on Tuesday night, and they’ll have to get through both fixtures without some important names.
Key defender Nordi Mukiele and January arrival Jocelin Ta Bi were both forced off in last weekend’s 3-1 loss to Fulham, with two additional problems emerging after the final whistle.
Forward pair Brian Brobbey and Romaine Mundle both picked up injuries in the defeat against Fulham and will miss the trip to Elland Road on Tuesday night.
“Romaine might have a difficult injury, and he might be sidelined for a while – we still have further assessments to make, but we will have a clear picture soon”, Le Brissaid.
“He has experienced this injury before, so it means something to him.
“It’s too early to know if it’s the same, but the feeling wasn’t positive. Jocelin might be in the same position as Romaine, but with a different injury. He might need surgery, so it could be a matter of weeks and months.
“It will be shorter-term for Nordi and Brian. Between two and four weeks, depending on how they respond to treatment and rehab.”
The full-back pair of Dennis Cirkin and Reinildo Mandava will also miss the trip to Elland Road next week.
Cirkin picked up a knock in the defeat against Fulham, while Reinildo has been recovering from a knee injury.
“Dennis is getting better, like Reinildo”, Le Bris added.
“The timeline should be around 10 days, depending on the last stage of their rehab.”
A chance for the Whites to close the gap
Sunderland being ahead of Leeds in the Premier League is annoying for the supporters, given how vast the gap was between the two sides in the Championship.
The Whites also dominated Sunderland at the Stadium of Light earlier in the season, but only managed to draw the game 1-1.
Sunderland badge Sunderland vs Leeds United – Match Stats (December) Leeds United badge
Sunderland Stat Leeds United
6 Shots 17
1 Shots on Target 5
42% Possession 58%
389 Passes 490
81% Pass Accuracy 86%
7 Fouls 9
1 Yellow Cards 0
0 Red Cards 0
4 Offsides 3
3 Corners 9
Leeds have a big chance of closing down the gap with Sunderland and possibly finishing ahead of the Black Cats by the end of the season.
There’s a sense that Sunderland have already done enough to avoid being pulled into a late relegation scrap, but this injury crisis could mean they end up just stumbling over the finish line.
Catching up with Sunderland and possibly leapfrogging them in the league table will show real progress at Leeds this season, even if survival remains the main focus.