Express & Star

Sunderland v West Brom: Who's out and who's a doubt

Albion travel to Sunderland tonight with question marks mostly around what to do at right-back in Darnell Furlong's absence.

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The ever-present right-back is suspended for one game having accumulated five yellow cards and misses a league game for the first time in Carlos Corberan's two-year tenure.

But Corberan has other fitness issues to tend to - some of which influence how the head coach may look at replacing Furlong at the Stadium of Light.

Here is a run through of Albion's latest prior to a trip to the north east.

Kyle Bartley - knee (50 per cent chance of featuring)

Bartley has missed around a month with a knee injury after a longer-term issue proved problematic and a scan led to minor surgery.

The experienced centre-back, a regular under Corberan, returned to training towards the end of last week and the plan was for Bartley to train on Sunday and Monday.

Corberan previously said Sunderland could come too soon for Bartley and that Preston on Saturday was a more realistic timescale - but Furlong's suspension and the potential of having to move Mason Holgate from the middle out to the right could hurry Bartley's return along.

Still, Corberan and his physical and medical staff may view that call not worth a risk. The head coach insisted he had no idea of whether Bartley could make Tuesday night when asked after Saturday's draw against Norwich.

Grady Diangana - calf (30 per cent chance)

The attacker was a surprise omission from the 2-2 draw against the Canaries and Corberan revealed afterwards he complained of calf discomfort in training on Friday. Diangana has also been carrying knocks to his ankle and Achilles.

Diangana was due for a scan on Monday and would only feature in the north east if results returned all clear and the pain was manageable to train ahead of the clash.

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Grady Diangana in training last week before he felt pain in his calf. (Photo by Adam Fradgley/West Bromwich Albion FC via Getty Images)

Paddy McNair - hamstring (zero per cent chance)

The experienced Northern Ireland international has been sidelined for exactly a month and is not estimated to return to contention until late December, which is just prior to when his loan from new MLS franchise San Diego FC expires.

Semi Ajayi - hamstring (zero per cent chance)

Ajayi is a longer-term absentee. He injured his hamstring in the same match as McNair, at home to Cardiff, but is not projected back to training until late February, with a possible March return to action.

Daryl Dike - hamstring (zero per cent chance)

Dike's return from a second lengthy Achilles lay-off was delayed as the powerful striker injured his hamstring in his return to team training. He is not expected to be available for selection until January.