Xhaka's warm-up sprint and Brobbey's hamstring leave Sunderland sweating before Villa

Sunderland's win over Chelsea came with a cost they are still measuring. Granit Xhaka and Brian Brobbey have both been withdrawn from international duty after Sunday's 1-0 win over Chelsea, and with Sunderland due at Aston Villa on Nov. 21, nobody has said yet how long either will be out.

Xhaka's injury did not even happen in the game. Régis Le Bris said afterward that the captain felt his calf at the very end of the warm-up, and Xhaka still started before signaling to the bench within the first five minutes. Jules Ahoka replaced him.

"It looks like a calf injury, but we don't know exactly the timeframe at the minute," Le Bris said. "It was just the last sprint of the warm-up, that's often the case [with these injuries]." It occured at the worst moment, too late to change the lineup and too early to get anything out of him.

Xhaka had a scan on Monday morning. The results have not been made public, but Switzerland did not wait for them to be announced: "Granit Xhaka has to withdraw from the national team gathering due to a calf injury," the federation posted. The 34-year-old misses two Nations League games as Switzerland's captain, AP reported.

According to Scott Wilson of the Northern Echo, Xhaka is waiting on a detailed treatment plan, and there is concern that the muscle problem could keep him out beyond the international break.

Brobbey's case is different but just as worrying for Le Bris. The striker has been dealing with a hamstring problem that already cost him games, and he was replaced by Wilson Isidor in the 67th minute against Chelsea. He has now been pulled out of the Netherlands squad as well, Chronicle Live reported.

Enzo Le Fée's first-half penalty won the game, but Sunderland are still 19th, with eight points from 10 matches. The win eased some of the pressure on Le Bris, and defender Luke O'Nien said the players share responsibility for the position their coach is in.

The schedule after the break leaves little room. Sunderland go to Villa Park on Saturday, Nov. 21, then host Jagiellonia Białystok in the Europa League, and three days after that game Tottenham come to the Stadium of Light. The Tyne-Wear derby against Newcastle follows on Dec. 6.

Xhaka has been central to everything since he arrived from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2025, both as the midfielder who sets the tempo and as the captain. Ahoka, who played well after coming on against Chelsea, is the obvious candidate if Xhaka is not ready.

Sunderland will have Xhaka and Brobbey at the training ground for the next 10 days instead of with their national teams, which at least lets the club's own medical staff manage both. Whether that is enough to have either available at Villa Park is the question the scan results, and not the calendar, will answer.