10-man Sunderland fought for a hard-earned point against Aston Villa, and now look to continue their upward trajectory in the Premier League away at Nottingham Forest.
Squad Updates
Regis Le Bris offered three major squad updates in his Thursday press briefing, regarding the injury status of Habib Diarra and Luke O'Nien, along with Reinildo Mandava's three-game suspension.
Habib Diarra underwent surgery on a groin injury picked up in training before the Aston Villa match, and is expected to be on the sidelines until December. Chris Rigg started in place of Diarra and performed well until his 37th-minute substitution to cover for Reinildo's red card.
🎙️ RLB on Habib Diarra:
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) September 25, 2025
'We know now he will need time to recover properly and not rush the process. After the rehab process, he will be very important for us. Injuries are part of the journey and they give opportunities for other players to show their quality.' pic.twitter.com/wSQcZTU0RN
Speaking of Reinildo's red card, Regis Le Bris spoke to the necessity of flexibility within the Sunderland squad, with Dan Ballard filling in nicely in the aftermath of the incident. Arthur Masuaku remains a potential option as a like-for-like replacement at left back. Le Bris has also confirmed the availability of cult hero Luke O'Nien, saying, 'he is an option' for this weekend's fixture.
Sunderland Lineup
I think Le Bris's system will not change; his emphasis on squad versatility suggests he expects players to adapt. I predict Masuaku will make his first Sunderland start, as a like-for-like replacement for the suspended Reinildo. I also predict Rigg will remain in the Starting XI, hoping he gets a full 90 minutes to prove his worth on the grandest stage of the Premier League.
The Opponents
Nottingham Forest are yet to win under Ange Postecoglou, suffering three losses and two draws in all competitions since hiring the Australian manager. The 3-1 opening day victory against Brentford was the last match for Nuno Espirito Santo, who was subsequently sacked due to differences of opinion with the club's owner, Evangelos Marinakis, and Forest have struggled since, but will look to bounce back against newly promoted opposition. Forest aren't terribly hampered by injury, but are still missing a few of their key figures in Murillo, Ola Aina, and Douglas Luiz.
Match Prediction
I predict Sunderland will come out on top against a down-on-their-luck side like Forest, with Wilson Isidor continuing his stellar run of scoring in home Premier League matches, by scorng away in a 2-1 win for Sunderland.
Wilson Isidor.
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) September 21, 2025
The first player in @PremierLeague history to score in each of a newly-promoted side’s first three home games 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/syvpbRjnk3
