Sunderland midfielder Habib Diarra in action against Tottenham (Image: Richard Sellers/PA Wire)
Sunderland midfielder Habib Diarra in action against Tottenham (Image: Richard Sellers/PA Wire)
REGIS LE BRIS is looking forward to welcoming Habib Diarra back into the first-team fold – and is confident the midfielder will get plenty of opportunities as Sunderland’s schedule becomes increasingly hectic in the next few weeks.
This has been a challenging international break for the Black Cats, with Brian Brobbey and Dan Ballard both having suffered injuries that forced them to leave their respective national squads.
The pair have both returned to Wearside and are understood to have been assessed by Sunderland’s medical staff, although the club are yet to release any details about the seriousness of their injury issues.
In better news, Diarra has been stepping up his own recovery programme from the hamstring injury sustained in August’s home win over Fulham, with the midfielder hoping to be available by the end of the international break.
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Diarra was a substitute for the games against Ipswich and Fulham that kicked off the season, meaning he has not made a Sunderland start since April, but with the Black Cats facing a run of seven games in 22 days once club football resumes later this month, Le Bris expects the 22-year-old to form a key part of his selection plans.
“We have four really strong midfielders at the minute,” said the Sunderland boss. “I think I explained to Habib early in the season, you are a starter, but you are fourth at the minute.
“The season will be long, and we will need everyone involved in the process, so don’t pay attention to the starting XI because we will need you sooner or later and you’re really important.”
While Granit Xhaka and Noah Sadiki have both started all of Sunderland’s league games so far this season, as well as the opening Europa League win over AZ Alkmaar, there will almost certainly be times in the next month when Le Bris feels compelled to leave one or both out of his starting side.
It would be a major boost to have Diarra available, with the Sunderland boss having delivered his most recent update on the midfielder’s wellbeing prior to the start of the international break.
“Habib is in a good place, healing really well,” said Le Bris. “Hopefully, it’s going to be two or three weeks to get ready for competition.”