Sunderland could be without Dion Sanderson for the remainder of 2020/21, with the on-loan Wolverhampton Wanderers defender suffering a back injury.
The 21-year-old featured for the Black Cats against Wigan Athletic on Tuesday, and manager Lee Johnson admitted after the game that the player had complained of pain.
It turns out the issue is fairly significant, the Northern Echo reporting the injury could take a few weeks to heal, and Roker Report going as far as to say he likely won’t play again in 2020/21.
Sunderland have just six games remaining until the season’s end. (not including possible play-off games).
Currently they lie third in the League One table, and are looking to climb above Peterborough United into the automatic promotion places.
Sanderson has been a vital player for Sunderland since the turn of the year.
The Wednesfield-born youngster has regularly drawn praise for his performances in the team’s backline.
He’ll certainly be a real miss for them in the business end of the season.
On social media, some Black Cats fans have been reacting to the Sanderson news, and it’s clear to see just how highly the talented Wolves-owned player is valued there: