Sunderland head to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon knowing they face their toughest challenge yet without their inspirational captain pulling the strings in midfield.
Regis Le Bris guides his Black Cats into hostile territory looking to continue their remarkable fairytale campaign that has seen the promoted outfit establish themselves right back among England’s elite.
Sunderland travel to north London carrying momentum from Monday evening’s emphatic 3-0 demolition of struggling Burnley at the Stadium of Light.
That comprehensive victory provided welcome relief following a disappointing defeat at West Ham the previous weekend.
However, Sunderland head into the battle against the Premier League leaders severely weakened by the continued absence of their midfield general.
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Granit Xhaka remains sidelined with the ankle injury sustained before the West Ham encounter that has now forced him to miss multiple crucial fixtures.
The Switzerland legend appeared visibly frustrated whilst watching from the sidelines during last weekend’s loss in east London.
Reports suggested Xhaka became involved in a heated confrontation with home supporters whilst seated behind the technical area, highlighting his desperation to contribute on the pitch.
Le Bris delivered a mixed update during his pre-match press conference regarding his captain’s recovery progress.
The Sunderland boss was very vague in his latest update on Xhaka, claiming that he hopes to have the player back soon, but there’s been no major update.
“There is no major update at the minute but his presence around the team is still really strong,” Le Bris said.
“We look forward to having the best version of him back soon.”
The 33-year-old ex-Arsenal midfielder has proven absolutely vital to Sunderland’s impressive campaign since arriving from Bayer Leverkusen last summer.
Xhaka boasted a remarkable 100 percent start rate across the opening 22 Premier League matches before injury struck, appearing in 23 fixtures overall whilst chipping in with one goal and five assists.
While Xhaka is set to miss a reunion with his former club, Le Bris did have some more positive news heading into the clash.
Sunderland signing Nilson Angulo in line for Black Cats debut
Indeed, deadline day signing Nilson Angulo arrived at the club on Thursday evening and could potentially make his debut at the Emirates.
“He will arrive in the country later today. He’s played a lot, so he’s fit,” Le Bris said earlier this week.
“Now it’s a case of connecting with the team and the squad. He could be available for Saturday.”
The 22-year-old, who bagged seven goals and eight assists in all competitions for Anderlecht before joining Sunderland, will provide Le Bris with a new and different attacking outlet against Arsenal.
The 12-cap Ecuador international could gift Sunderland a boost, and there is every reason for supporters to get excited by his potential debut.
Members of the media have branded Angulo as a ‘sizzling’ talent and ‘joy to watch’, with his form in Belgium doing wonders to justify these audacious claims.
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