Leeds United welcome the Black Cats to Elland Road in just five days.
Sunderland have been hit with a six-man injury nightmare ahead of next week’s trip to Leeds United.
The Black Cats face Bournemouth this weekend before making the trip to Elland Road on Tuesday night and will have to navigate both games without key players. Standout defender Nordi Mukiele and January signing Jocelin Ta Bi were forced off during last weekend’s 3-1 defeat against Fulham with two more issues surfacing after full-time.
Forward pair Brian Brobbey and Romaine Mundle both received medical treatment during or after the game, with doubt cast on their fitness going into back-to-back away fixtures. And with a trip to Elland Road just five days away, Le Bris confirmed the news Sunderland fans had feared.
“Romaine might have a difficult injury and he might be side-lined for a while – we still have further assessments to make, but we will have a clear picture soon,” Le Bris said. “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.”
Even at the early end of that two-to-four week prognosis, Mukiele and Brobbey are both set to miss next week’s game at Leeds alongside longer-term absentees Jocelin and Mundle. The former pair’s absence is a big blow given how influential they have been during Sunderland’s excellent season.
Since joining from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, Mukiele has played the second-most minutes of any Black Cats outfielder, registering a goal and three assists in 25 appearances. Brobbey is a brilliant outlet and the club’s top-scorer with five goals in 22 games.
More bad injury news for Sunderland ahead of Leeds United trip
The fresh quadruple injury blow adds further issues to Le Bris’ squad, with two key full-backs also set to miss next week’s trip to Leeds. Dennis Cirkin picked up a minor issue before last weekend’s trip to Fulham while Reinildo Mandava is out with a knee injury.
“Dennis is getting better, like Reinildo,” Le Bris said of the pair, adding that captain Granit Xhaka is back fit. “The timeline should be around 10 days depending on the last stage of their rehab.”
Sunderland have lost their last three Premier League games and now dropped into the Premier League’s bottom-half. But after an incredible first-half of the campaign, they are under no threat of relegation and Le Bris remained resolute ahead of trips to Bournemouth and then Leeds.
“Sometimes we forget who we are and where we are, it’s important to mention our journey,” he added. “How difficult this league is and how young our squad is.
“When we have negative results, it does not mean we are not progressing. It doesn’t mean we are not in a good place. But it’s tough. It’s part of the process and you have to accept that.”