Wallace out for the season
Ross Wallace is out for the rest of the season.
The Sunderland winger damaged knee ligaments in training and boss Roy Keane said today the 22-year-old is not expected to play again this campaign.
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And with midfielder Grant Leadbitter and defender Danny Higginbotham also out of this weekend's trip to Spurs – each having suffered a broken toe – the Black Cats' injury woes appear to have returned.
Keane had said a week ago that Sunderland were willing to listen to offers for Wallace, but any plans for a January move have now been scuppered.
Keane said: "Ross went over on his knee in training. It was just a slip, but that's how these things always seem to happen. We're assessing how serious it is and whether it will need an operation. We hope that, like when Dean Whitehead injured his knee this season, an operation can be avoided.
"It's a blow to Ross and us. I spoke to him last week about his situation but said I'd be delighted if there was no move and he stayed here because he would be part of my plans."
Higginbotham missed last weekend's home win over Portsmouth with his foot injury while Leadbitter played as a substitute against Pompey.
Higginbotham will be out for six weeks and will have an operation, but Leadbitter does not need surgery and will be out for two to three weeks.
Keane said: "Danny has a broken toe and so has Grant. "Players play with these injuries and hope they go away and it's only when you have them scanned that you realise what's wrong."
Keane is sure Kenwyne Jones will be fine for tomorrow and is backing Whitehead to shake off a knock from the Portsmouth game.
Sunderland claimed a last-gasp 1-0 win at home to Spurs on the opening day of the season. "It's important that we kick on from the Portsmouth win and get some sort of momentum, which we've not done all season," said Keane.
"We believe we should have picked up something from Reading and Blackburn, but there's always a chance going to Tottenham. They're a good team but if we can handle it we hope we can get a positive result.
"We can't keep putting ourselves under pressure with every home game being a must-win game – we have to start picking up a few away points.
"Tottenham are in transition with a new manager coming in and different things, but you can't take away from the fact they have real quality in their team."
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Weather for Sunderland
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -3 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 1 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South west
