Sunderland midfielder Habib Diarra posted a message to social media ahead of his AFCON departure...

Sunderland midfielder Habib Diarra has sent a message ahead of his departure for the Africa Cup of Nations, while Chris Rigg thanked supporters following a hard-earned draw away from home.

Diarra returned to action in the closing stages of the game after recovering from a groin injury and will now link up with Senegal for AFCON. The midfielder has spent recent weeks sidelined, with Sunderland taking a cautious approach to his recovery before reintroducing him to match action.

Head coach Régis Le Bris confirmed that Diarra’s minutes will continue to be carefully managed during the tournament, with the expectation that he will return to Wearside ready to push for a starting place once AFCON concludes.

“We were happy to go all the way through the rehab process with him,” Le Bris said. “This was the conclusion of that, and now he is ready to play. So, he will go with his national team. It will be progressive with them as well, in order to make sure everything goes well, and then after AFCON, he will be 100 per cent with us and in a good shape.”

Diarra marked his return by posting on Instagram ahead of his departure, sharing the message: “Back, focus, ready for battle,” alongside an image from Sunderland’s preparations. Rigg also took to social media after the match, reflecting on the challenge Sunderland faced on the road. The teenager described it as a “solid point at a tough place” and paid tribute to the travelling support, writing: “Thank you to the travelling fans, you were top.”

What else did Régis Le Bris say after the game?

Le Bris felt Sunderland’s point away at Brighton was a deserved one after his side stood firm during a sustained spell of late pressure from the hosts. Sunderland enjoyed long periods of control despite travelling south without several players due to Africa Cup of Nations call-ups.

Brighton, however, were also missing key figures through injury, suspension and illness, and it was the home side who finished the stronger as the game wore on. While Sunderland were unable to capitalise on their chances earlier in the contest, Le Bris took encouragement from the way his players defended their penalty area to preserve a clean sheet.

“A draw was probably a fair result,” Le Bris said. “The atmosphere in the dressing room was a bit disappointed [that we didn't win], which was a good sign for the future. We had two parts to the game. Until 65 or 70 minutes, we were dominant, especially for a team playing away from home.

The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates directly to your phone. Simply click this link to join our SAFC WhatsApp channel.

“We showed good qualities, great character. We were controlling the ball, and we had opportunities to score during this period. But when you don’t score away when you have those opportunities, you can expect that the opponent will push until the end.

Keep up with the action from the new Premier League season and sign up to The Echo’s dedicated SAFC newsletter

“They did well during the last 20 or 25 minutes. We stayed consistent with our deep block and kept this clean sheet. They crossed a lot, as expected, so we were prepared for that. We have players who are really determined to defend the box and the goal, and they did that. They defended well.”

Your next Sunderland read: 46 photos of amazing Sunderland fans at Stadium of Light ahead of Wear-Tyne clash vs Newcastle United