Sunderland are sweating on the fitness of Noah Sadiki and Omar Alderete ahead of facing Wolves

Sunderland’s preparations for their Premier League meeting with Wolves have been disrupted by two fresh injury concerns, with Noah Sadiki and Omar Alderete both facing late fitness checks ahead of the weekend.

The DR Congo Football Federation confirmed on Monday evening that Sadiki has withdrawn from international duty after suffering an ankle sprain before his country’s World Cup qualifier against Sudan. The 20-year-old will return to Wearside immediately to begin treatment under the supervision of Sunderland’s medical staff.

A statement from FECOFA read: “FECOFA informs that Noah Sadiki has been ruled out of Tuesday’s match, which counts for the 10th round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The player has suffered a sprained ankle and will return to his club, Sunderland AFC, this evening to continue his treatment. The Federation wishes him a speedy recovery.”

Sadiki’s absence would represent a major blow for Régis Le Bris, who has made the versatile midfielder a mainstay in his side’s Premier League return. The youngster has featured in all but 30 minutes of the campaign so far, regularly tucking into defence to allow the full-backs to push on and giving Granit Xhaka licence to dictate play further forward.

The extent of the injury will only become clear after further assessment, but recovery from ankle sprains typically varies depending on severity – from around two to four weeks for mild cases, six to twelve for moderate sprains and several months if significant ligament damage is detected. Most players resume light training after a fortnight, though rushing a return can cause setbacks.

Sadiki shared his disappointment on Instagram, writing: “Enormously saddened not to be fit in time for this match. I wanted to play again in Kinshasa in front of our home crowd to get some revenge, but that's life. I will be behind my nation and my teammates, who will, I'm sure, give their best to lead us towards our dream. As for me, I will do everything to come back stronger to help my country. Romans 8:31.”

Sunderland were also given a scare on Tuesday when Alderete was forced off late in Paraguay’s 2–0 defeat to South Korea. The 28-year-old centre-back was substituted in the 81st minute with what local reports described as “muscle discomfort”, and he will be examined once he returns to the Academy of Light later this week.

Alderete has been in outstanding form since his summer arrival from Getafe, establishing himself as a key part of Le Bris’ back line and one of the signings of the season. Sunderland will hope his withdrawal was precautionary, but if he fails to recover in time, Dan Ballard is expected to return to the starting XI.

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The potential double setback adds to a growing injury list. Reinildo serves the final match of his suspension this weekend, while Habib Diarra remains sidelined with a groin problem. Romaine Mundle, Dennis Cirkin, Leo Hjelde and Aji Alese are all still on the comeback trail and unlikely to feature before early November. Le Bris is due to provide a full update on Sadiki and Alderete when he faces the media in his pre-match press conference on Thursday afternoon.

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