Sunderland have received a welcome double injury boost ahead of their Europa League encounter with Torreense, although several first-team stars were missing from Wednesday’s training session.
Two key stars returned to training with their teammates at the Academy of Light on Wednesday morning as head coach Régis Le Bris prepared his squad for Thursday’s European fixture in Portugal.
Both players were spotted participating in the open training session following their recent injury problems, providing Sunderland with encouraging news as they prepare for another important continental test.
He has been recovering from a hamstring injury suffered while representing the Netherlands during the September international break. Diarra has also been working his way back from a similar hamstring issue.
Their return to group training represents a positive step towards full fitness. However, it remains unclear whether either player will be ready to feature against Torreense, with Le Bris expected to assess their condition before making his final selection decisions.
Despite the encouraging developments, Sunderland were without several notable players during Wednesday’s session.
Defender Dan Ballard and experienced full-back Thomas Meunier were both absent and are expected to miss Thursday’s encounter, presenting potential selection challenges for the Black Cats.
Wilson Isidor was also missing from training. The Haitian forward recently returned from international duty and featured in Sunderland’s most recent match against Brighton. Le Bris is expected to provide further clarification on his availability during Wednesday’s press conference.
Meanwhile, Romaine Mundle continued his recovery from injury and was not involved in the session.
Jules Ahoka returned to first-team training after enjoying a slightly longer international break. Chemsdine Talbi and Juan Riquelme Angulo also joined the group, although neither player is registered in Sunderland’s Europa League league-phase squad.
Ukrainian forward Timur Tutierov was the only player from Sunderland’s Under-21 setup to participate in the first-team session.
The Black Cats head to Portugal hoping to build on their opening Europa League victory over AZ Alkmaar. Le Bris will also be eager to see his side respond positively after their disappointing Premier League defeat to Brighton last Saturday.
With Brobbey and Diarra making progress in their respective recoveries, Sunderland will be hoping their returning players can strengthen the squad as they look to secure another positive European result.
