Sunderland have enjoyed a tremendous return to the Premier League in 2025-26 but have had to navigate a busy winter schedule without six players.
Regis Le Bris lost more players to the Africa Cup of Nations than any other Premier League manager, which has seen the Black Cats drop to 10th place after five league matches without a win.
Their 3-0 defeat against Brentford marked their first loss in six games, but the return of their AFCON contingent is anticipated to provide a much-needed boost as they gear up for Premier League action this weekend.
Have Sunderland’s Players Returned from AFCON?
With only the final and third-place play-off remaining in the tournament in Morocco, Sunderland have welcomed back four of their six AFCON stars.
Noah Sadiki and Arthur Masuaku (Democratic Republic of Congo), Reinildo (Mozambique), and Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso) have all returned to the Stadium of Light after representing their countries.
However, Sunderland confirmed that two players have returned with injuries and will miss the upcoming match against Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon. Arthur Masuaku (ankle) and Bertrand Traorè (knee) are both expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks.
“The duo are back on Wearside, but sustained injuries while representing their respective nations at AFCON 2025 in Morocco,” Sunderland stated in an update.
Sadiki has already made an appearance for Sunderland since returning, and Reinildo is also fit and ready to play in the Premier League on Saturday.
Currently, two Sunderland players remain in the Africa Cup of Nations. Finalists Morocco and Senegal each have one Sunderland player; however, one will unfortunately miss the final due to suspension.
20-year-old winger Chemsdine Talbi has only played 16 minutes for Morocco but will be available if called upon in the final on Sunday.
If he takes to the field, he won’t compete with teammate Habib Diarra, who is suspended from the final after receiving a yellow card against Egypt in the semi-final due to involvement in a minor altercation.
Diarra's absence leaves a gap for Sunderland but underlines the mixed fortunes of their squad as they seek to improve their league standing.
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