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Sunderland Heading into the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon knowing they face their toughest challenge yet without their inspirational skipper calling the shots from midfield.
Regis Lebris Taking his Black Cats into hostile territory in the hope of continuing their remarkable fairytale campaign, the side have re-established themselves among England’s elite.
Sunderland travel to north London carrying the momentum of Monday night’s 3-0 win over struggling Burnley at the Stadium of Light.
The comprehensive victory provided welcome relief after last weekend’s disappointing defeat at West Ham United.
However, Sunderland are struggling with Premier League The leaders have been severely weakened by the continued absence of their midfield marquee.
Granit Xhaka remains sidelined after sustaining an ankle injury against West Ham United, forcing him to miss a number of key games.
The Switzerland legend looked visibly frustrated as he watched from the sidelines during last weekend’s defeat in East London.
Suggestions report Xhaka clashes with home fans Sitting behind the technical area underlines his desire to contribute on the pitch.
LeBrice gave a mixed update on the progress of his captain’s recovery during his pre-match press conference.
The Sunderland boss has been very coy in his latest update on Xhaka, claiming he hopes the player returns as soon as possible, but there are no major updates yet.
“There are no major updates at the moment, but his presence in the team is still very strong,” LeBris said.
“We look forward to the return of the best version of him as soon as possible.”
The 33-year-old former Arsenal midfielder has proven crucial to Sunderland’s impressive season since joining from Bayer Leverkusen last summer.
Xhaka had an astonishing 100% starting rate in the first 22 Premier League games before injury, playing a total of 23 games and contributing 1 goal and 5 assists.
While Xhaka will miss a reunion with his former club, Le Bris did have some more positive news heading into this clash.
Sunderland sign Nelson Angulo ready for Black Cats debut
Indeed, deadline-day signing Nelson Angulo arrived at the club on Thursday evening and is likely to make his debut at the Emirates Stadium.
“He will arrive in the country later today. He has played a lot of games so he is healthy,” Le Bris said earlier this week.
“Now it’s a matter of establishing a connection with the team and the squad. He may play on Saturday.”
The 22-year-old, who scored 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 give Sunderland a boost and fans have every reason to be excited about his debut.
Media members referred to Angulo as “Hot” talent and “a joy to watch”and his performance in Belgium worked wonders to justify these bold claims.
