A starter in the Leopards’ win in Zimbabwe, the midfielder had to come off with a quarter of an hour left. Nothing serious so far, it seems, but Sunderland, whose treatment room is already full, will be keeping a close eye on him.
The international break keeps taking its toll on Sunderland. On Monday, 28 September, Noah Sadiki was forced off during DR Congo’s 2-1 win in Zimbabwe in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Starting for the second time in the window, the 21-year-old midfielder was replaced by Aaron Tshibola around the 75th minute after picking up a knock.
After the final whistle, footage of the player limping on the pitch circulated widely on social media, worrying Black Cats supporters.
No red alert yet
Early indications are reassuring. According to James Copley of the Sunderland Echo, the problem is not thought to be serious, and the player was able to leave the pitch unaided. No official diagnosis has been released by either the Congolese federation or the English club.
According to the English press, Sadiki appears to be staying with Sébastien Desabre’s Leopards for now. It remains to be seen whether he will feature in DR Congo’s upcoming matches, including a game against Uganda.
Sunderland already stretched
For Régis Le Bris, caution is the order of the day. Sunderland have already seen Brian Brobbey suffer a hamstring problem with the Netherlands, while Dan Ballard returned early from Northern Ireland duty with a suspected hamstring injury. Habib Diarra is also unavailable.
Sadiki has become a key figure in the Black Cats’ midfield, with six starts across the Premier League and Europa League so far this season. When club football resumes, Sunderland host Brighton on 10 October before travelling to Portugal to face Torreense in the Europa League. Hardly the time to lose a regular starter.