Sunderland Receives Major Boost Ahead of Manchester United Clash

Sunderland will travel to Old Trafford for their MD7 fixture vs. Manchester United.

Regis Le Bris | IMAGO / NurPhoto

Sunderland is off to an incredible start to the Premier League season. The club is unbeaten at home and picked up its first away win against Nottingham Forest last week.

Regis Le Bris’s men have secured 11 points out of a possible 18 and sit fifth in the Premier League table. 

There were speculations about Sunderland’s star center-back’s availability for their Saturday fixture. Le Bris addressed the matter while talking to the media ahead of the match. 

Sunderland Defender Set to Start Against Manchester United

The Black Cats are scheduled to face their first “Big Six” opponent. On Saturday, they will travel to Old Trafford to take on the Red Devils. Manchester United is off to a horrid start to the season. They have lost half of their games and are currently 14th in the table. 

Ruben Amorim is sitting on a ticking bomb, and a defeat to Sunderland might force the management to send him packing. It seemed the club was getting back on track after a win over Chelsea in MD5, but a 3-1 loss to Brentford reset things.

Nordi Mukiele has played a key role in Sunderland’s success this season. According to WhoScored, he is the highest-rated center-back in the league. The French international is the only defender in the Premier League to make more than 10 tackles and not be dribbled past even once. 

IMAGO / NurPhoto

There were rumors that Mukiele had suffered a thigh strain and would miss the game against the Red Devils. However, the Sunderland manager shut down all the whispers in the pre-match conference. 

Nordi is fine, he’s OK. We have no new injuries. 

Regis Le Bris

👊 RLB on Nordi Mukiele:

'He is fine and available...' pic.twitter.com/ED9v9ksTZl

— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) October 2, 2025

The Black Cats have only conceded four goals in the Premier League this season, tied for the second-fewest with Tottenham Hotspur. Defensively, they have outperformed the reigning English champions, Liverpool, and are only behind Arsenal and Crystal Palace. 

It was presumed to be a tough stretch for Sunderland, but the newly promoted side has stunned some of the league's top teams. Mukiele offers some playmaking skills alongside his defensive abilities. He has created multiple chances this season. He combined with Omar Alderete and Robin Roefs to hold Aston Villa to a draw despite being down to 10 men. 

Sunderland has kept three clean sheets this season, and they would aim to do the same against Amorim’s side on Saturday.