Sunderland will be missing two players for Saturday’s Premier League encounter with Arsenal at the Stadium of Light.
The north-east club host the Gunners in what promises to be a demanding fixture for Regis Le Bris’s side.
The Black Cats are seeking to surpass the result from last season’s corresponding fixture, which ended in a 2-2 stalemate at their home ground.
Following an opening-day loss to newly promoted Ipswich Town, the Wearside outfit have bounced back with victories against Fulham and Hull City, alongside a point earned at Brentford in league action.
Le Bris faces a selection dilemma ahead of the match, with the French coach set to choose from the same squad that featured in the previous two outings.
Two absentees from those performances remain unavailable, with both Romaine Mundle and Habib Diarra continuing their recovery periods after picking up problems during the win over Fulham.
Mundle sustained a knee injury that has kept him sidelined, a setback Le Bris described as unfortunate given the midfielder’s impressive pre-season preparations.
The update was provided during Thursday’s pre-match media obligations.
Diarra continues to manage a hamstring issue and is not expected to return until following the initial international interval of the campaign.
The former Schalke player will consequently miss the forthcoming league matches against Arsenal and Manchester City, in addition to the Europa League group-stage meeting with AZ Alkmaar on home soil.
His progress was characterised by Le Bris as ongoing.
Arsenal arrive on the back of an impeccable beginning to their season, having secured victories in all four of their opening fixtures across domestic and European competitions.
Three of those successes came in the Premier League, with the most recent a narrow 1-0 Champions League triumph in Naples on Wednesday evening.
That result extended their winning sequence, with Martin Odegaard’s second-half strike proving decisive in Italy.
When questioned about the London club, Le Bris conceded their status among the continent’s elite while insisting his team would endeavour to present them with an uncomfortable and challenging afternoon.