Weekend Briefing: Ins, outs and injury doubts for this week's football

Ins, outs and injury doubts for the weekend's matches.

Addicks' problems continue

Charlton's defensive crisis continues with Lee Bowyer now planning for their League One trip to Bristol Rovers without his captain Jason Pearce.

The 33-year-old was sent off in the closing stages of Charlton's thrilling 4-4 draw with Rochdale at the Valley on Tuesday and is banned for one game.

Bowyer needs some stability at the back after five league games without a win in which they have conceded at least two goals each time.

But he's still without Ryan Inniss and Akin Famewo while makeshift defender Darren Pratley is also banned.

Bluebirds on the up

Cardiff boss Neil Harris could have some positive news for a change with Sean Morrison and Kieffer Moore poised to return to action against Championship leaders Norwich.

Postponements have meant skipper Morrison has missed only one match – the 1-0 loss at Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup – with an ankle injury that Harris reckons has improved enough for him to be in contention.

Moore, Cardiff's star summer signing with eight goals, has been out for a month with a hamstring strain during which time the Bluebirds have lost four out of five.

Hoffenheim issues are growing

Hoffenheim, after suffering the indignity of becoming the first Bundesliga team to lose to Schalke last weekend, are missing Christoph Baumgartner as they seek to arrest their slide at home to Bielefeld.

Baumgartner is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season in the 4-0 drubbing in Gelsenkirchen.

Fellow midfielder Florian Grillitsch is also injured as are defenders Ermin Bicakcic and Kevin Akpoguma while Sebastian Rudy is a doubt.

Seagulls on the sidelines

Alireza Jahanbakhsh is the latest Brighton crock and will miss out on their Premier League trip to Leeds.

Jahanbakhsh picked up an injury in the FA Cup tie at Newport last Sunday and has been ruled out by boss Graham Potter.

Brighton are still without Tariq Lamptey, Danny Welbeck, Aaron Connolly and Adam Lallana.

More misery for Black Cats

Sunderland head for Wimbledon in League One missing at least six first-team players as the problems mount for boss Lee Johnson.

Northern Ireland international defender Conor McLaughlin has been troubled for weeks after a hernia operation and after he limped out of the 1-1 draw with Hull it has been decided he will go under the knife again.

Striker Danny Graham is going to have a scan on a knee injury and Sunderland are also missing Tom Flanagan, Luke O'Nien, Denver Hume and Will Grigg.

The Black Cats are tumbling out of the automatic promotion race having won just one of their last eight league matches.

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