Sunderland AFC news: Major Patrick Roberts injury update after Huddersfield defeat

Michael Beale fears that Sunderland could be without Patrick Roberts for a number of weeks after the winger limped out of the 1-0 defeat to Huddersfield Town late on.

Roberts only returned from a calf injury at the weekend as was used as an impact substitute to try and prevent a repeat at Huddersfield. He had been one of Sunderland's most dangerous players before suffering a hamstring injury, one that kept him out for almost a month earlier in the season.

The winger will need a scan but the early signs aren't promising.

“We’ve obviously had a disaster because we’ve lost Paddy for the last ten minutes and that meant we had to play with ten men," Beale said.

"It just made it into an even worse night. It’s his hamstring, and I’m told it looks as if its the same as he did earlier in the season. He missed four or five weeks earlier in the season, and he feels it’s the same.

“It’s a really big shame because I thought he was bright when he came on. He came inside and the defender did fantastic to block it, and then he went outside on another one. We looked much stronger when he came on, so he’ll be a big loss.

“What’s he played for me? Two-and-a-half games now? And probably, that’s going to be it for a period of time now, so someone has to step up, for sure.”

Having already made three sets of substitutions, Roberts' withdrawal meant the Black Cats finished the game with ten.