Sunderland bottom of Premier League: Is Europe to blame for struggles?
Dinamo Zagreb under the lights at the Stadium of Light on Bonfire Night. These should be exciting times for Sunderland and their fans, who before this season had been starved of European football for more than half a century.
Instead there is a concern the club's Europa League campaign, which includes a trip to AC Milan in December, has become a hindrance after the team's poor domestic start to the season. Last season's surprise Premier League package are rooted to the bottom of the table, with just one win and six defeats from nine games.
Will a game against the champions of Croatia on Thursday (20:00 GMT) serve as a welcome distraction before Sunday's visit of Chelsea? When Sunderland won at Stamford Bridge last season in their ninth game back after promotion, the Black Catssat second in the tableafter an electrifying start.
After nine games this season, it is a very different story. Questions are being asked about the long-term future of manager Regis le Bris - the man who masterminded Sunderland 's return to Europe for the first time in 53 years.
So after last season's impressive seventh-placed finish, why are Sunderland struggling this time round? Following last Saturday's3-1 defeat at Coventry City,captain Granit Xhaka questioned the team's "courage", weeks after France defender Nordi Mukiele claimed the side hadbecome "arrogant".
BBC Sport understands Le Bris' job is not in immediate danger and he will begiven more timeto turn things around. The Frenchman, in charge since July 2024, is Sunderland 's longest-serving manager since Steve Bruce, who was in charge between June 2009 and November 2011.
Le Bris has credit in the bank for winning promotion and then claiming a European spot. This season he has managed to propel the Black Cats into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, where they face fellow Premier League strugglers Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
But how long will Sunderland 's hierarchy remain patient if the club, two points from safety, stay anchored in the bottom three? "They ended last season quite well to get into Europe and that felt really historic," former Sunderland loan signing Nedum Onuoha told BBC Sport.
"But there was talk then that maybe he [Le Bris] wasn't quite the guy." Sunderland fans who probably had their doubts last season, I really doubt that they will be thinking he is the manager long term.