Tottenham Hotspur vs Sunderland: Team Updates and Expected Lineups

Published On: January 3, 2026

Tottenham Hotspur vs Sunderland: Team Updates and Expected Lineups

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Sunderland is set to face Tottenham after a solid start to 2026 with a 0-0 draw against Manchester City. Tottenham also drew their last match 0-0 at Brentford, currently sitting 13th in the Premier League, six spots below Sunderland heading into the weekend. Here’s the latest team news and expected lineups for both teams.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Sunderland: Team News and Predicted Lineups for January 4th

Tottenham Team News

Lucas Bergvall is questionable due to a muscle injury that kept him out against Brentford. Manager Thomas Frank remains optimistic about his availability. Dominic Solanke, who has been sidelined since August, has started light training and might return by the end of the month.

Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, and Destiny Udogie are dealing with long-term injuries. Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr are participating in the Africa Cup of Nations. Xavi Simons is serving the last match of his three-game suspension for a red card against Liverpool.

In his pre-match comments, Thomas Frank discussed Bergvall and Solanke: “Lucas Bergvall is a doubt, but we hope he’ll be ready.” Regarding Solanke’s return, he said, “I can’t specify dates until he’s training with the team.”

Sunderland Team News

Dan Ballard has missed two recent matches due to an ankle injury but might return to the squad and could be on the bench. Aji Alese, who has been out for a long time, has resumed training but is not ready to play yet. Brian Brobbey, who left the pitch during the match against Manchester City, is likely to be included in the squad but may start on the bench.

Habbib Diarra, Bertrand Traore, Chemdine Talbi, Reinildo, Noah Sadiki, and Arthur Masuaku are all unavailable as they are on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Sunderland’s head coach Regis Le Bris mentioned in his pre-match press briefing that they anticipate a challenging game. “We expect another tough match in a great stadium. It’s a chance for the squad to shine, but we must recover quickly after our game against Manchester City.”

“Thomas Frank is an experienced manager. They possess many talented players and are well-structured, although they can be inconsistent. We cannot expect them to make mistakes; we need to focus on our performance. Football is unpredictable, so it’s crucial that we play our game.”