Sunderland midfielder Darren Gibson out for up to 10 weeks with groin injury
Thursday 4 January 2018 16:33, UK
Darren Gibson faces a long spell on the Sunderland sidelines with a niggling groin injury.
Manager Chris Coleman revealed after Monday's 1-0 Championship defeat by Barnsley that the Republic of Ireland international had aggravated a persistent problem and could be out for some time, and his fears have now been confirmed by a scan.
Speaking ahead of Saturday's FA Cup trip to Middlesbrough, Coleman said: "He's low, he's down because in the way we want to play, he's been key, really, and he was definitely grasping what we need from the holding midfielder in the formation we want to go with.
"Now we've lost him for eight weeks, 10 weeks possibly, and that's a big blow. It's a tough one.
"We are going to get one more opinion - we have had two and we are going to get one more opinion just to make sure, but we think it's going probably eight to 10 weeks he's going to be unavailable, which is a huge blow for us.
"There's a little bit of doubt whether it's completely off the bone, so we need that third opinion to make sure we get it right and then we can say, 'Right, if it is, then it's surgery and it's eight weeks or whatever, and if it's not quite off the bone, then maybe we could get him back a little bit quicker."
The news will come as a blow not only to the club, but to the 30-year-old former Manchester United and Everton player, who was enjoying perhaps his best run for the club when misfortune struck.
Coleman admitted that he only had 11 fit senior players.
Sunderland have fitness doubts over midfielders Paddy McNair and Aiden McGeady for the third-round FA Cup trip to Middlesbrough.
Lee Cattermole, Didier Ndong, Jack Rodwell, Jonny Williams and Lynden Gooch have already been ruled out.
