Sunderland v Liverpool team news is in, and the headline is that Granit Xhaka will not be involved at the Stadium of Light tonight.
The 33-year-old Swiss midfielder has been one of Regis Le Bris’ most reliable starters this season, and he is clearly the biggest name missing from Sunderland’s squad list.
Liverpoolfc.com confirmed that Sunderland will be without both Bertrand Traore and Xhaka for this Premier League fixture, with Le Bris also providing a positive update on Noah Sadiki after the midfielder was withdrawn in the second half against Arsenal.
“Noah Sadiki was taken off midway through the second half of their 3-0 loss away at Arsenal on Saturday but head coach Le Bris reported that he is ‘good’.”
Why Xhaka absence matters for Sunderland v Liverpool
Xhaka’s importance is not just reputation, it’s output.
As per Sofascore, the Switzerland captain has started 22 Premier League matches this season and is averaging 89 minutes per game, which tells you exactly how central he is to Sunderland’s structure.
The same data credits Xhaka with five assists, 1.1 key passes per match, and seven big chances created, while also ranking him as a heavy contributor out of possession with 1.6 tackles and 0.9 interceptions per game, plus strong duel success on the ground and in the air.
Sunderland are unbeaten at home in the league this season, so losing the organiser who connects the midfield, slows the game down when needed, and keeps standards high is a meaningful setback.
Le Bris has already handed captaincy duties to Trai Hume in Xhaka’s absence, and the Sunderland head coach explained his thinking in terms that will resonate with a Stadium of Light crowd.
“Sunderland belongs to a working-class community and Trai is a good example of earning things.”
“He is really well balanced and intense, and a good example and captain for the squad.”
Liverpool also arrive with selection issues
Liverpool are not travelling in perfect health either, and Arne Slot has again been forced into solutions rather than preferences, especially around right-back.
Joe Gomez could return to the matchday squad after injury, but the head coach made it clear the situation is tight.
“Joe has not trained with us yet.”
“I’m expecting him to train with us for the first time today. If Joe is not ready to start then we are missing four players who have played in that position.”
Jeremie Frimpong remains out, Dominik Szoboszlai is suspended, and Conor Bradley is a long-term absentee, with Giovanni Leoni and Alexander Isak also still unavailable.
Chris Sutton has already framed tonight as a serious test, pointing to Sunderland’s physicality and organisation, and those traits will matter even more if we are again forced into another improvised back line.
For Sunderland, the message is equally straightforward.
They can lean on their unbeaten home record, but doing it without Xhaka makes the task tougher, because Liverpool will look to turn midfield control into pressure, and pressure into three points.
