Sunderland’s final two players at AFCON have progressed to the competition’s semi finals

Sunderland’s final two representatives at the Africa Cup of Nations have been ruled out of next Saturday’s clash with Crystal Palace.

Habib Diarra played just over an hour as Senegal won their quarter final clash with Mali 1-0 on Friday evening, while Chemsdine Talbi was an unused substitute as hosts Morocco beat Cameron 2-0. The two teams will discover their semi final opponents later today, as Algeria face Nigeria and Egypt face Ivory Coast in the other quarter finals. Both players will be unavailable for Sunderland’s next Premier League regardless of their progress in the semi finals, though. The two defeated sides will play in a third place play off next Saturday, with the final set to take place next Sunday.

Régis Le Bris should have all four other AFCON representatives back for the game against Crystal Palace, however. Noah Sadiki, Arthur Masuaku, Bertrand Traore and Reinildo all returned to Wearside earlier this week and so are expected to be in contention after a full week of training. Masuaku’s future at the club is uncertain, with Le Bris having previously confirmed that he could leave the club this month. According to the latest reports, Belgian side Standard Liege are interest in a potential January swoop.

Diarra and Talbi will return in the days following the Crystal Palace game, and so should be able to play some part at West Ham United on January 24th.

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Sunderland starlet completes new loan move

Sunderland striker Trey Ogunsuyi has joined EFL outfit Shrewsbury Town on loan until the end of the season, the club have confirmed.

Having scored 15 goals in 20 appearances for the Black Cats’ U21s last term, the promising centre-forward spent the first half of the current campaign with Scottish Premiership side Falkirk. The 19-year-old found game time hard to come by north of the border, however, and registered just two starts during his time with the Bairns, as well as seven further appearances from the bench, failing to find the back of the net.

It was revealed earlier this week that he had returned to the Academy of Light, and Sunderland have now taken the decision to send him out to Shrewsbury for the remainder of the season. At the time of writing, the Shrews are battling to avoid relegation from League Two, and are currently 22nd in the fourth tier, two points clear of Newport County and Harrogate Town beneath them.

Addressing the decision to send Ogunsuyi out on loan, Sunderland academy manager Robin Nicholls said: “At this stage of his development, this loan is an exciting opportunity for Trey to earn minutes in an EFL environment. Shrewsbury are facing an important period and like us, they believe he can make an immediate impact. His previous loan at Falkirk provided a valuable taste of senior football, and it tested him in more ways than what can be seen on the pitch. Now, we look forward to seeing him rise to this next challenge.”