Overview

• Granit Xhaka, signed from Arsenal over the summer, will wear the armband as Sunderland return to top-flight action on Saturday.
• Sunderland remain without Aji Alese, Luke O’Nien, Leo Hjelde, Romain Mundle and Dennis Cirkin, complicating Regis Le Bris’s selection plans.
• West Ham arrive under Graham Potter with Crysencio Summerville the only absentee from their travelling squad.
• Saturday’s fixture marks Sunderland’s first Premier League match since their 2017 relegation, following last season’s dramatic playoff final win.
• UK broadcasters declined to show the game live on TV or streaming platforms, leaving radio coverage as the sole domestic option.