No op is good news for Gooch

There was slightly better news on Gooch, who travelled to London on Friday to consult a specialist over his ankle injury, after it was confirmed he doesn’t need an operation.

American Gooch is still expected to be out for up to three months.

Moyes said: “The good news is that he doesn’t need an operation. That’s the big news, his ankle will heal in time.

“But it’s still going to be an injury that keeps him out somewhere between eight and 12 weeks.”

Fit-again Jan Kirchhoff, who came on at half-time, says the recent bout of injuries suffered by Sunderland is simply down to bad luck.

The ex-Bayern Munich midfielder said: “It has nothing to do with bad build-up or lack of fitness or so on. It is just down to bad luck.

“You can’t do anything about that.

“It is just so unlucky that Duncan falls on his leg and he has injured his knee.

“Something like that just happens in sport and, in football, you can’t avoid it.

“What we can avoid is muscle injuries and so on, it is up to us to work on our fitness for football and get enough sleep etc.

“But injuries to ankles and knees you can’t avoid. It is bad luck.”

Sunderland will tonight find out their opponents in the FA Cup third round.

The draw will be screened live on BBC Two from 7pm.

Sunderland will be No 37 in the draw, with Middlesbrough No 26 and Newcastle No 27.