adminSunderland handed double injury blow ahead of Crystal Palace as transfer plan explained
The Africa Cup of Nations wraps up on Sunday, but Sunderland continue to feel its impact, with Crystal Palace next on the Premier League schedule.
The Black Cats will remain without Arthur Masuaku and Bertrand Traoré over the coming weeks, as both returned from the tournament carrying injuries.
Masuaku’s DR Congo and Traoré’s Burkina Faso were eliminated in the first knockout round on 6 January. Both players have been sidelined since the mid-December Wear-Tyne derby.
Their absences will now stretch into February after injuries sustained on international duty. Masuaku was forced off during DR Congo’s defeat to Algeria, while Traoré only came on as a second-half substitute in Burkina Faso’s 3-0 loss to Ivory Coast.
Manager Regis Le Bris stressed that Traoré’s injury is not expected to affect Sunderland’s transfer plans this winter. “I don’t think it’s connected,” he said. “We are expecting probably a three- or four-week timeframe, so we won’t rush the process.
It’s better to give him a strong rehabilitation programme. He will be back soon. We have other options, because we worked without him for almost four weeks, and it was possible.”
Regarding Masuaku, Le Bris added that the short-term nature of the injury means it is unlikely to influence any potential departure. “It’s a short-term injury, so it’s possible to imagine a future here or elsewhere,” he said.
Sunderland also still have Chemsdine Talbi and Habib Diarra at the tournament in Morocco, where hosts Morocco and Senegal have reached Sunday’s final.
However, neither is expected to feature at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium. Diarra will miss the final due to a one-match suspension after receiving two yellow cards during the knockout stages.
Talbi, meanwhile, has had very limited game time, appearing only once as a substitute in Morocco’s final group-stage match against Zambia after the team had already qualified for the round of 16.
Le Bris also commented on the returning players more generally. “I think they are happy to be back, and the players here, we are happy to have them once again in the group. Only two are missing now, Chemsdine [Talbi] and Habib [Diarra], which is good for them in one point. So now it’s a question of playing and carrying this momentum to get better.”
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