Liverpool ground out a narrow 1-0 win against Sunderland on Wednesday night at the Stadium of Light. This result finally ended Sunderland’s long run of home wins. Virgil van Dijk’s winning header in the 61st minute was the only thing between the teams. This goal gave the Black Cats their first Premier League home loss of the 2025/26 season.
Van Dijk Header Ends Sunderland’s Unbeaten Streak as Alderete Suffers Fresh Setback
But missing out on points might not be the worst part of the night for Régis Le Bris. Omar Alderete, the 29-year-old Paraguayan centre-back, limped off in the 80th minute. This forced Lutsharel Geertruida to come on. Reports from Paraguayan outlets Versus and Unicanal via Sport Witness cast doubt on when he can play again. They confirmed the defender’s old injury returned. He needs tests right away to see how bad the damage is.
The timing of this injury really worries the Sunderland fans. Alderete had only just come back to the starting team. He dealt with muscle pain during the 3-0 win over Burnley on February 2nd. Coming off against Liverpool makes it look like that first problem never actually went away.
Since moving to the Wearside club, the Paraguay international has become a key part of Le Bris’s backline. He has played more than 20 games this season. His tough tackling and strength in the air helped the defence defy expectations for most of the year.
Is It A Setback For The Black Cats?
Missing such an experienced player is a massive test for the club. Sunderland are currently doing well in 11th place. Still, people will look closely at the rest of the squad if Alderete is out for a long time. Lutsharel Geertruida is a good backup while on loan from RB Leipzig. Even so, Geertruida might find it hard to fit in with the other defenders as well as Alderete did right away.
The numbers from this season show how much Alderete matters. His tackle and clearance stats are some of the highest at the club. Being out for a while would probably mess up the team’s flow. This could pull them back into a fight for points they thought they had escaped. Le Bris has to fix his defence fast. The busy Premier League schedule doesn’t stop for anyone.
