Sunderland prepare for Dinamo Zagreb showdown in Europa League

Sunderland are gearing up to host Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb at the Stadium of Light on Thursday night in a huge Europa League test, and the build-up has been dominating coverage this week.

The Sunderland Echo has previewed the threat the visitors carry, highlighting a Dinamo Zagreb team that features a team-mate of Lamine Yamal from international level and a striker in red-hot form (Sunderland Echo). In a separate piece, the Echo zeroes in on that same forward, pointing out he has racked up 17 goals and has previously drawn admiring words from Newcastle United, adding another layer of danger for the Black Cats defence to deal with (Sunderland Echo).

On the officiating side, the Sunderland Echo reports that UEFA have confirmed a Serie A referee will take charge of the tie, giving fans clarity on who will be in the middle for such a big European night at the Stadium of Light (Sunderland Echo).

Team news has also emerged, with the Sunderland Echo revealing that training was missing five injured players as head coach Régis Le Bris weighs up his options and potential changes ahead of the Dinamo Zagreb clash (Sunderland Echo). That fits with a wider picture of fitness concerns around the squad heading into a congested fixture schedule.

Looking further ahead, Chronicle Live notes that Sunderland have also been hit by a separate injury blow affecting a key man ahead of December's Tyne-Wear derby at St James' Park, with the club currently bottom of the Premier League table and facing a busy run of fixtures before that clash with Newcastle (Chronicle Live). Meanwhile, TeamTalk's look at Newcastle's upcoming schedule confirms Sunderland's visit to St James' Park is on the horizon as part of a run of fixtures also including Arsenal and Manchester United for the Magpies (TeamTalk).

On the numbers side, the Sunderland Echo also carries Opta's predicted finish for Sunderland in the Europa League league phase, giving supporters a sense of how the data experts see the campaign panning out as the Dinamo Zagreb test approaches (Sunderland Echo).

All told, it's a mix of European anticipation and growing injury worries for Sunderland fans, with Thursday's visit of Dinamo Zagreb the immediate focus before thoughts turn to Newcastle United in December.

Written with the help of AI, using the headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.