Johnson gives keeper update as he weighs up 'tricky' Arsenal call

Lee Johnson admits he faces a ‘really tricky’ decision as to who will play in goal at Arsenal next Tuesday.

Lee Burge has performed superbly in the Carabao Cup so far this season, but is short of game time after recently returning from a hip problem.

That injury forced there call of Anthony Patterson from Notts County, and the 21-yearold has subsequently kept his place in the match day squad.

In recent games, Under23s goalkeeper Jack McIntyre has been the third goalkeeper warming up at the Stadium of Light, which Johnson says is because a full morning session is more beneficial to Burge when not involved.

Sunderland are weighing up whether to allow Patterson to return to Notts County in the January window, but for the trip to Ipswich he will remain the main competition for Thorben Hoffmann.

“Jack[ McIntyre] comes on a match day just to feel that environment,and to serve the goalkeepers in the warm up.

“Burgeyh as a morning session in that scenario. He’s fine, and will play in the U23s. I obviously then have a tricky decision on who to play against Arsenal.

“But, the mindset is definitelyto give everything we can to each individual goalkeeper to keep them fit and firing.

“I had a conversation with Pat to on Wednesday, because I wanted to talk about the plan going into January, and to get a bit of feedback and ownership from him as well. At the moment, not an awful lot will change going into Saturday.”

*Sunderland’s first away game of 2022 will come at Wycombe, and tickets have gone on sale for the match.

Season card holders with 60+ black cat points can now purchase tickets for the fixture, which will be played on Saturday, January 8 (12:30pm kick-off ). Tickets will now be sold in stages to other season card holders, and are set to go on general sale on Wednesday, December 22, subject to availability.

*Two former Sunderland players have retired. Dame N’Doye and Nacho Scocco, both of whom struggled to impress on Wear side, have both called time on their playing careers.

N’Doye, 36, scored once for Sunderland while on loan fro mT rabzonsp or in 2016 and ended his career at Danish club FC Copenhagen. Scocco, also 36, joined Sunderland in 2014 but spent just six months at the club and ended his career with Newell's Old Boys