Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris has been speaking to the media before Saturday’s Premier League game against Arsenal at the Stadium of Light (kick-off 17:30 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
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Le Bris says Omar Alderete will not be available this weekend and that it’s “not really serious” but the club have followed the concussion protocol which is “really strict”. The Sunderland boss says he will probably be able to get some minutes with Paraguay and get ready for the Fulham game. The defender was concussed against Wolves on 18 October.
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He confirmed there are no fresh injury concerns and provided an update on Habib Diarra’s recovery. He said the Senegal international is “in a good place” but they won’t rush the process because “it is an important injury”.
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On his side’s character and coming from behind in games, Le Bris said: “We can keep our consistency even if something is going wrong. In this Premier League with a young squad it’s something which is very positive. I think we have this character, this spirit to stay in the game and stay composed, try and fight until the end – which is a motto for us. The other side, this league is really demanding so it is not a surprise to concede a goal.”
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Le Bris says the confidence Granit Xhaka transmits to the squad is really important and that it is “a really good opportunity” for Sunderland to have a player like him because “the club wants to grow and you need to set the standards”.
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More on the qualities of Xhaka, who faces his former club this weekend: “We spoke this week about his leadership and we agreed that one of the main strengths of a leader is to create another leader and he is doing this every day”.
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Le Bris believes the game against Arsenal has arrived at “the perfect time” to test them. He added: “We have to play our best football and if we are afraid or a bit reserved against this kind of team we will be punished. If we are too emotional we will be punished. We have to do a masterclass – no choice!”
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On whether they’re trying to find a way to stop Arsenal getting corners, Le Bris joked: “I don’t know if it’s possible.”
Follow all of Friday’s Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day’s football news
Listen to Sunderland v Arsenal on Radio 5 Live via BBC Sounds here from 17:30 GMT on Saturday
How to follow the Premier League on the BBC this weekend
