Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka 'will probably be three more weeks' out with ankle injury, says Le Bris | OneFootball

Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka faces about three more weeks out with an ankle injury, head coach Regis Le Bris said. According to NY Times, the 33-year-old missed last Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at West Ham.

Speaking before Monday’s trip to Burnley, Le Bris said Xhaka is progressing, will be assessed next week and that the lay-off will probably be three more weeks.

Xhaka has been integral since arriving from Bayer Leverkusen last summer. He has made 23 appearances in all competitions and, before the London Stadium loss, started all 22 Premier League matches he was available for. He has one goal and five assists.

Promoted via the play-offs last season, Sunderland invested over £150million, $206.2m, on 14 signings. They sit 11th, with wins over Chelsea and Newcastle United and draws against Arsenal, Manchester City, Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.

The timeline means Xhaka is set to miss a return to the Emirates Stadium to face former club Arsenal on seven February, plus Sunderland’s home game against Liverpool on 11 February.

After the West Ham match, when Xhaka appeared to exchange words with home fans while seated behind the bench, Le Bris said he needed at least two weeks to recover before a further assessment.

Former captain Luke O’Nien said Xhaka is a big miss but believes others will step up. He added the midfielder still travelled to West Ham and was in the dressing room.

Source: NY Times