'Four to six weeks' - Sunderland confirm double injury blow ahead of Crystal Palace clash

Sunderland duo Bertrand Traore and Arthur Masuaku are both set for spells on the sidelines due to injuries sustained during the African Cup of Nations, the club have confirmed.

The experienced pair represented Burkina Faso and DR Congo respectively at the continental tournament in Morocco, and were both knocked out in the round of 16. Having returned to Wearside in the aftermath of their international endeavours, however, both are expected to be out of action for four to six weeks.

In better news, Noah Sadiki, who was also part of DR Congo’s AFCON squad, and Reinildo Mandava, who made his final international appearances for Mozambique before confirming his retirement earlier this week, are both fit and expected to feature for the Black Cats in their Premier League home clash against Crystal Palace at the weekend.

Elsewhere, record signing Habib Diarra and promising winger Chemsdine Talbi are still away on international duty, with Senegal set to face Morocco in Sunday’s highly anticipated final, with both having come through their semi-finals on Wednesday evening.

News of Masuaku’s injury in particular casts notable doubt over his immediate future on Wearside. In recent weeks, speculation has steadily mounted over the prospect of the full-back leaving Sunderland this month, despite having only arrived in the North East during the summer transfer window.

With just four appearances to his name across all competitions this season, including a paltry 127 minutes of Premier League action, there is an understanding that the former West Ham man would ideally like to seek out a fresh opportunity that would provide him with more consistent first team openings. To that end, Belgian outfit Standard Liege have been touted as one prospective destination, with reports earlier this week claiming that the Jupiler Pro League side were looking to take the 32-year-old on loan without any option or obligation to buy, while also requesting that his parent club continue to cover his full wages.

Whether Sunderland would have acquiesced to such an arrangement is unclear, but certainly, a relatively long-term injury to Masuaku does little to enhance the likelihood of him leaving the Stadium of Light between now and the transfer deadline passing on February 2nd.

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What has Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris said about Arthur Masuaku amid transfer links?

Speaking in a press conference last month, Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris hinted that the club could be willing to sanction Masuaku’s exit this winter. He said: “The most competitive part of our squad is probably the backline, with many good players.

“They have gained momentum, so for Arthur, even if he is a really good player, he didn’t have many opportunities to play in this squad. But he is still important for us. We had a conversation together just before AFCON and we agreed that, in this transfer window, we will have an opportunity to discuss things. But it doesn’t mean that he will leave because we still have to be aligned. If the collective and the individual projects are aligned, it can go like that. If they are not, and we have the opportunity to make a change, then we will see.”

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