Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris has confirmed that Romaine Mundle and Habib Diarra will miss out once again as his side prepare to host Arsenal, leaving him to pick from a similar group of players that featured in the previous two fixtures.
Both players have been sidelined since picking up injuries during Sunderland's 1-0 victory over Fulham in late August, and neither has recovered in time to be considered for selection this weekend.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Thursday, Le Bris gave an update on Mundle's condition, expressing disappointment that the winger's promising pre-season form has been interrupted by a setback.
"Romaine has a knee injury, which is a shame because he had a good pre-season," Le Bris said. "We will support him and hope he is ready by the end of the year."
The timeline suggests Mundle could be facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines, with the club not expecting him back in contention until later in the year at the earliest.
Diarra's situation was also addressed by the Sunderland head coach, who indicated the midfielder is still working his way back to full fitness following his own injury issue.
"Habib is in the middle of his recovery," Le Bris added, without giving a precise timeframe for when the midfielder might return to the matchday squad.
The absences come at a challenging moment for Sunderland, who welcome an Arsenal side currently in excellent form to the Stadium of Light. Le Bris was quick to acknowledge the scale of the task facing his team, praising the Gunners' quality and consistency this season.
"It is going to be a demanding game – they are flying right now," the Sunderland manager said. "They are one of the best teams in Europe and are on a strong run."
Despite the difficulty of the fixture, Le Bris insisted his players must remain true to their own identity if they are to compete with one of the continent's leading sides.
"To be competitive in this kind of game, we have to be ourselves," he explained. "Our underdog mentality, togetherness and connection with the fans is crucial. We have to have clarity in our game model, because they have so much flexibility."
Sunderland have enjoyed a strong start to the campaign on home soil, winning both of their league fixtures at the Stadium of Light so far this season without conceding a single goal. That defensive record now faces its sternest examination yet against an Arsenal team renowned for its attacking versatility and squad depth.
Le Bris made clear that stopping Arsenal will require a collective effort and disciplined approach from his players, who will need to make life as difficult as possible for their opponents without the ball.
"We have to make it as uncomfortable and as difficult as possible for Arsenal, but we know they have many threats," he said, underlining the respect he holds for Mikel Arteta's side heading into the weekend clash.
With Mundle and Diarra both unavailable, Le Bris will need to rely on players who have already featured prominently in recent weeks as Sunderland look to spring an upset against one of the Premier League's in-form outfits.
Based on reporting from standard-football.