Sunderland return to Premier League action when they face Spurs next month
A three-week break from action allows Sunderland and Spurs to regroup ahead of the Premier League run-in, with their meeting at the Stadium of Light on April 12th one which could have major consequences.
Most obviously, it is a huge game for a Spurs side who now sit just one point above the bottom three and are at risk of what would have once seemed an unthinkable relegation. While the stakes are far lower for a Sunderland side now all but safe following their Tyne-Wear derby win, three points would bolster their hopes of a top-half finish and keep them in the race for an unlikely European place.
The break should allow both clubs to improve their extensive injury lists, so who might be back and who might still be out? Here we take an early look at the latest from both camps..
The early Sunderland team news
Though Enzo Le Fée, Reinildo and Nordi Mukiele were all named in the squad at St James' Park last Sunday, Mukiele was an unused substitute as the risk of a recurrence was deemed too great. The former duo played only a matter of minutes off the bench, but all three should be in contention to start given a three-week break that will allow them not just to recover fully but also build their way back to full sharpness in training. It will leave Le Bris with some very difficult but very welcome selection dilemmas all over the pitch, and bolster the depth of his bench significantly as a result.
At this stage, Robin Roefs and Dan Ballard remain doubts. Roefs was pictured working in the gym this week as he recovers from a relatively minor hamstring injury, and the hope is that he will be able to take his place against Spurs. Ballard missed the Tyne-Wear derby with a hamstring injury and was also absent as Northern Ireland lost their World Cup play-off to Italy on Thursday night - a reflection of the fact that the injury is not a minor one. Time will tell whether he is able to return to face Spurs - though Mukiele's return means there will be no need to risk him if not. Luke O'Nien deputised well against Newcastle, Mukiele can play in that role and that in turn would leave Trai Hume and Lutsharel Geertruida as options at right back.
Further returns are not impossible though to be unlikely. Winger Nilson Angulo was ruled out for four to six weeks ahead of the defeat to Brighton, with Spurs' visit coming around the middle of that timeframe. Sunderland are unlikely to rush either Angulo or Bertrand Traoré, who is out for a similar timeframe with a knee injury. With Le Fée back in contention and Chris Rigg producing his two best performances of the season against Newcastle United and Brighton, Le Bris has options and doesn't need to take risks.
Romaine Mundle and Jocelin Ta Bi will almost certainly still be out with hamstring and ankle issues respectively, and are not expected back until later in the season with the latter potentially facing a race to feature again.
Sunderland have no suspension concerns moving into the final phase of the season, with the Spurs game being the last before the second cut-off. Ten bookings before the end of the 32nd fixture constitutes a two-game suspension, but Trai Hume is Sunderland's most-booked player with eight.
The early Spurs team news
Spurs remain a club surrounded by uncertainty, with reports earlier this week suggesting Igor Tudor was likely to depart his role as interim boss following the 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest last Sunday. As of now that has not been confirmed, and so Tudor remains in the dugout as he seeks his first win since taking over from Thomas Frank and with his side now just one point below the bottom three.
Their season has been blighted by injury, a major factor in their dismal form. The hope is that some key players will be back after this break, and so the starting XI and certainly the bench should in theory have a stronger look by the time they travel to the Stadium of Light. There is some doubt over goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who has recently been playing with a hernia issue and who Spurs confirmed would be undergoing surgery during this break, their hope being that the extended spell without a fixture will allow him to face Sunderland. If not, then Antonín Kinský will make his first appearance since being substituted in the first half of the club's first leg defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League Mathys Tel is a minor doubt after being forced off in that Nottingham Forest defeat with a knock, though at this stage there has been no suggestion that the issue is a major one.
Spurs hope that the break will allow them to get Mohammed Kudus and Rodrigo Bentancur back in the fold from thigh injuries, with the pair inching closer to full training before the current break. Kudus in particular is one of the team's key attacking threat and whether the pair would be able to start after a spell on the sidelines is unclear, but they would most certainly add welcome depth to the group if fit. Spurs also remain hopeful that James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski will be back to feature before the end of the campaign, though after such lengthy spells on the sidelines it would be a surprise if they were back in time to face Sunderland. Defender Ben Davies could also make a very welcome return from an ankle injury, adding experience and quality to the defensive depth of the group. Whether the Sunderland game comes just too soon remains to be seen.
Winger Wilson Odobert will miss the game as he recovers from a long-term knee injury, while midfielder Yves Bissouma is also a doubt.
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