Sunderland team news: Mitoma to be assessed, Dunk returns

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Albion face the Black Cats this weekend.

2026-03-13T11:45+00:00

Kaoru Mitoma was withdrawn at half-time against Arsenal. 📸 by Paul Hazlewood.

Albion take on Sunderland on Saturday looking to make it three wins from four Premier League outings, kick-off 3pm.

Team news

Fabian Hurzeler provided an update on Kaoru Mitoma and Lewis Dunk ahead of our match at the Stadium of Light.

On Mitoma, the head coach said, "We have to see how training goes today [Friday]. He's the only player where we have some concerns, so we have to wait until training has finished today and then we can make a decision about that. All the others will be fine. It's not as bad as it could have been [for Kaoru]. The scan showed no injury so it's just a question of pain and if you can handle it or not.

"Lewis Dunk will be an option."

For Sunderland Nordi Mukiele, Robin Roefs, Bertrand Traore and Reinildo Mandava will miss the game. Brian Brobbey and Dennis Cirkin are due to return to their matchday squad.

Their last line-up

📋 RLB's starting XI!#LEESUN pic.twitter.com/5eDO2EOm5S
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) March 3, 2026

Match facts

Sunderland are hosting Brighton in a league match for the first time since October 2004 (a 2-0 win in the Championship), and for the first time in the top-flight since a 1-1 draw in April 1983.

Brighton have won just one of their last eight league games against Sunderland (D2 L5), a 2-1 home win in the Championship in February 2005.

Sunderland have won their last five home league games against Brighton, and are unbeaten in nine against them (W7 D2) since a 2-1 loss in April 1981.

Brighton are unbeaten in their last 11 Premier League games against promoted sides (W5 D6), keeping a clean sheet in five of their last six.

Sunderland won 1-0 at Leeds last time out, last winning consecutive league games in October. However, only Aston Villa (9) have netted fewer Premier League goals than the Black Cats so far in 2026 (10), while only Burnley (-9) and Tottenham (-11) have a worse goal difference this year (-6).

Sunderland have lost their last two Premier League home games, having been unbeaten in their first 12 this season (W7 D5). They last lost three in a row at home in the competition in August/September 2016.

Since losing 4-3 to Aston Villa at the start of December, Brighton have neither scored nor conceded more than twice in any of their 15 Premier League games. Indeed, the Seagulls’ games have seen fewer goals than any other side in this time (30 – F14 A16).

Sunderland have kept nine clean sheets in the Premier League this season, with only four sides keeping more. The last promoted team to record more in a campaign were Leeds United in 2020-21 (12).

Centre back Dan Ballard has had more touches in the opposition box than any other Sunderland player in the Premier League this season (64). Across the whole division, the only defender with more this term is Jurriën Timber (90).

Only Jérémy Doku (63) has made more ball carries into the penalty area than Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh in the Premier League this season (61).

Match officials