Sunderland centre-back Younes Kaboul has been ruled out for "weeks" with a hamstring injury.
Black Cats boss Sam Allardyce confirmed at his press conference ahead of the Boxing Day trip to Manchester City that Kaboul, who has made 13 Premier League appearances this season, would be missing for several weeks.
Allardyce also revealed that Adam Matthews is out with an ankle ligament problem, while Lee Cattermole (back) and Sebastian Larsson (knee) remain absent for Saturday's game at the Etihad.
Jeremain Lens, who was left out of the squad for the 3-1 defeat at Chelsea due to disciplinary reasons, is back in the fold for this weekend's contest.
