Sunderland manager Regis Lebrs brought good news at his pre-match press conference against Brighton, confirming that Senegalese international Habib Diarra has largely recovered and is highly likely to play in Saturday's game.

Since suffering a serious groin injury in training this September, the midfield prodigy has been sidelined for months. After undergoing successful surgery and returning to full team training earlier this week, this match will not only mark the end of Diarra's recovery process but also be a crucial debut before he embarks on his journey to represent the national team in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Lebrides said: "He may travel with us to Brighton, which would mark the end of his recovery process. If all goes well, he will then be cleared to join the national team."

Meanwhile, with the Africa Cup of Nations approaching, Sunderland is facing squad instability due to the departure of several international players. However, Lebrides remains confident, believing that challenges often contain opportunities.

The team has cleared all injuries and is in excellent physical condition, providing strong support for the upcoming rotation. Although there will be new faces in the starting lineup this weekend, Lebrides firmly believes that those players who have had limited playing time are already mentally and physically prepared.

In the interview, Lebrides highly praised the professionalism of the substitute players, pointing out that it was precisely because the starting lineup had performed exceptionally well that these players had to endure a long wait.