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Sunderland have confirmed that midfielder Habib Diarra is set for a period on the sidelines after undergoing surgery on a groin injury. The 21-year-old sustained the issue in training before his side’s 1-1 draw with Aston Villa on Sunday. Sunderland confirmed in a statement that the Senegal international is set to return to action in December. The midfielder will also miss his national team’s World Cup qualifiers against South Sudan (October 6) and Mauritania (October 13). Diarra joined Sunderland from French side Strasbourg in a club record transfer in June. He had started Sunderland’s first four Premier League games, providing an assist in the 2-1 victory over Brentford on August 30. Diarra was replaced in the starting line-up by 18-year-old Chris Rigg for the draw with Villa. Sunderland, who have won two of their opening five Premier League games, are next in action against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Saturday. (Photo: Ian Mac Nicol/Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle Nnamdi Onyeagwara joined us in November 2022, initially helping us cover the World Cup before becoming a Junior News Editor in January 2023. Born in North London, Nnamdi attended Nottingham Trent University and previously worked at The Voice and the Barnet Post. Follow Nnamdi on Twitter @nnamdionye