Gooch steps up recovery from knee cartilage issue
Lynden Gooch will step up his recovery from a knee injury this week after over a month on the sidelines.
The 27-year-old hasn’t featured since Sunderland’s 3-1 defeat by Swansea City in the middle of January, after making 19 Championship appearances this season.
“I’m going to be back out running on Monday so just a couple of weeks away,” Gooch told the club’s website.
“It was my knee, a bit of cartilage damage so it has taken time to heal. I’m itching to get back out there.
“The lads have done brilliant, so I’ve got a lot of hard work ahead to get back into the team.
“We have a great bunch of lads; this is probably my first proper season where I’ve really enjoyed it from the start to now.
“The club is in a different place now from the whole time I’ve been here.
"There have been a lot of negativities in the past but it’s the complete opposite now everything is positive, and it’s great to be part of it.
“We have kept a core group together and I think that is massive.
"You see a lot of successful teams earn promotions because they have a good core and good characters as well.
“We don’t have many senior players but the ones
that are here try and help the new players coming in.
"It’s up to us to lead by example and show what it takes to play for this football club.”
Gooch will have a challenge to win his place back at right-back, with Trai
Hume establishing himself in the side.
Injuries to senior players have also allowed others in the squad to step up.
“I think the lads are doing great,” Gooch added.
“Obviously we have had some big injuries and the manager now knows he can trust a lot more players by giving them the opportunities when injuries have happened.
“It’s healthy he has rotated this week, which would have been a big plus to him knowing he has been able to do that.
“I think when you are winning games it takes care of itself and there is a good buzz around the place.”
Sunderland travel to Rotherham United, who are 21st in the Championship, tonight.