Wolves vs Sunderland early injury news: 5 out and 5 doubts - including 53-time international star
The latest injury updates from Wolves and Sunderland ahead of a key match at the bottom of the Premier League table
Wolves face the definition of a relegation six-pointer this weekend when they make the trip to the Stadium of Light to face newly-promoted Sunderland this weekend.
The Old Gold sit at the bottom of the table with two draws and five defeats from their opening seven matches; meaning they are the only team in the top-flight without a victory at this stage.
Wolves have competed in the Premier League since 2018 and have enjoyed a number of memorable moments such as reaching Europe under Nuno Esprito Santo, but in recent times they’ve found the top-flight much more challenging particularly after losing high profile stars such as Pedro Neto and more recently Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri.
The West Midlands outfit have drawn both of their last two games in encouraging performances against Brighton and Tottenham but know that they seriously need to start picking up victories in must-win matches against Sunderland and Burnley eight days later.
Both Wolves and Sunderland are sweating over the fitness of a number of key stars, heading into this weekend’s contest. But who enters this fixture with a cleaner bill of health? Here we take a look at the early injury news from both teams, including five confirmed absentees and further five doubts.
Sunderland injury news
Sunderland summer signing Habib Diarra, who was admired by Leeds United over the summer, is guaranteed to miss the game against Wolves through injury. The Senegalese international, who scored against England in a 3-1 win over the summer, is nursing a groin problem which rules him out until at least December.
Fellow summer addition Reinildo also misses out due to suspension. The former Atletico Madrid defender, who became the first Mozambique player to appear in the Premier League, was sent off against Aston Villa and missed this match due to suspension.
Noah Sadiki, who was signed from Union Saint-Gilloise over the summer, has also sustained an ankle injury on international duty while representing DR Congo. He’s played in every game but looks likely to miss the contest with Wolves.
Regis Le Bris has four doubts in his team heading into the match. Dennis Cirkin has a hand injury, Aji Alese is nursing a shoulder problem, Romaine Mundle is struggling with a thigh problem and Leo Hjelde is working his way back from an achilles injury.
The Black Cats boss is likely to provide updates on all four players later in the week once they have undergone late fitness tests with the medical team.
Wolves injury news
Wolves are expected to be without defensive stalwart Matt Doherty due to a wrist injury. The 53-time Republic of Ireland international is expected to return in early November.
Other than that, Leon Chiwome is the only other confirmed absentee. The 19-year-old hasn’t played in over a year, with his most recent appearance coming in April 2024. He’s pushing to return from a ruptured ACL but still has a few more weeks to wait before he’s back on the pitch.
Toti, who missed the last match with flu, is a slight doubt because of his illness but it’s expected he’ll be back having had plenty of time to recuperate during the international break.