The Honduran international suffered a knee injury in the Latics' 3-1 win over Burnley last month and will remain sidelined for weeks to come.

But Sunderland will pursue their long-term target unperturbed in the new year.

Figueroa limped out of action at Turf Moor just before the half hour and manager Roberto Martinez revealed: "Maynor has a grade two medial ligament problem in his left knee.

"We will assess it further to see how bad it is, but it doesn't too good.

"Normally with this sort of injury, you are talking about weeks rather than months – but the signs are not nice.

"He actually wanted to carry on but the injury was serious and he could not do so. It's not an injury that he would have damaged any further as it was just a tear – it's muscle problems that can get worse – but Maynor felt so uncomfortable that he had to come off."

The injury could yet sideline Figueroa until the new year, meaning that Sunderland could be looking at bidding for a player still on the treatment table.

But Black Cats boss Bruce sees the tough tackling physical defender as part of his long-term plans and will push forward with a move which came within a whisker of completion before the August transfer deadline.

Bruce had hoped that Figueroa's arrival would cancel out the effects caused by the departure of Danny Collins.

But, with Collins leaving for Stoke and Figueroa's move not going through, the left-back role has been a problem position for the Black Cats.

First-choice George McCartney has struggled for fitness and form, while Kieran Richardson has filled in from time to time, as has Anton Ferdinand.