Regis Le Bris delivers fresh Sunderland injury update before Vitality Stadium trip as key defender faces spell out
Sunderland travel to the Vitality Stadium on Saturday knowing they face a stern test against Bournemouth, but Régis Le Bris must first juggle a growing list of injury concerns within his squad.
The Black Cats have relied heavily on defensive organisation and resilience this season, with consistency at the back forming the foundation of their Premier League campaign. That stability, however, is now under threat at a crucial stage.
Le Bris addressed the media on Thursday and provided updates on several players, with one particular name standing out given his importance to Sunderland’s structure and balance.
Since signing from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, Nordi Mukiele has been a leader in defence, becoming one of the club’s most reliable performers, but the Frenchman is now facing a considerable spell on the sidelines.
There was some relief in the manager’s tone, though, as the issue is not considered long term.
“With Nordi and Brian, it will be a bit shorter. It will be between two and four weeks, depending on how they respond to the treatments and the rehab.
Elsewhere, the outlook is more concerning. Romaine Mundle could be sidelined for a prolonged period.
“It might be a difficult injury for Romaine. He might be out for a few weeks, maybe a month, maybe more,” Le Bris said.
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“We still have some assessments to make but we’ll have a clearer picture soon. It’s still early to say if it’s exactly the same injury he’s had before, but the early indications are it is not positive.
Jocelin Ta Bi is also facing an uncertain timeline and may require surgery, potentially ruling him out for weeks or even months.
“Jocelin might be in the same position as Romaine for a different injury, he might need surgery. It’s still a bit early but a few weeks, month… It was really unlucky because it was a small kick, but really precise on his weakest point.
“Totally unlucky, to be fair but he’s well-connected with his teammates, so I’m not too worried, to be fair. He’s a bit shy, like a new player, I believe, but already well-connected with his teammates.
“He speaks a bit of English now, and his French is very good, so in the dressing room it’s easy to manage connections with his teammates.”
Dennis Cirkin and Reinildo in the final stages of recovery
Dennis Cirkin and Reinildo will miss the Bournemouth trip as they continue their rehabilitation, though both are nearing the final stages of recovery.
“Dennis and Rei are getting better, we miss them but they are getting better. The timeline should be shorter for Dennis, maybe around ten days, but again it will depend on the end of the process.”
There was positive news in attack, with Bertrand Traore back in full training and available for selection, while Granit Xhaka is pushing for a starting role after featuring towards the end against Fulham.
Despite multiple absentees, much of Sunderland’s immediate concern centres on how quickly Mukiele can return, with his presence pivotal to maintaining defensive solidity during a demanding run of fixtures.
