Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka recently hopped on Instagram to share some good news. He posted an update about his recovery from that ankle injury. He told the fans on Wearside that he expects to be back on the pitch very soon.
Granit Xhaka nears Sunderland return
This boost for the club came just before his teammates ground out a 1-0 win against Oxford United at the Kassam Stadium. Habib Diarra coolly tucked away a penalty to make sure the Black Cats reached the FA Cup fifth round for the first time since 2015. The veteran midfielder shared a few photos of his training. He mentioned he was taking things “step-by-step” as he gets back to full fitness.
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The impact of a leader
The 33-year-old Swiss international moved to the Stadium of Light last summer. He arrived after a historic, unbeaten Bundesliga season with Bayer Leverkusen. He wanted a fresh challenge in a growing English project. Owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus personally talked the experienced leader into joining. Louis-Dreyfus won the race against several Champions League teams to secure a player who can lead such a young group.
Since he joined, Xhaka has been the engine room of Régis Le Bris’s team. He plays deep to set the pace and help out the defence. The stats show he leads the league in clearances and successful long balls for a midfielder. This proves Xhaka’s vision is as sharp as ever, even at 33.
Restoring tactical balance
Missing the last five games forced the team to shuffle things around in midfield. Enzo Le Fee had to stop attacking as much, so he could stay back and keep things steady. Sunderland missed the captain’s ability to switch the play so quickly. They also missed his loud leadership when the team was under pressure at the back.
Once he is 100% fit, his return will let Le Fee move further forward again. This shift will bring back the attacking spark that helped the club climb into the top half of the Premier League. Fans are eager to see their skipper back out there to keep this run going through the final months of a great season.
