Key duo in line for Black Cats return

LYNDEN Gooch and Aiden McGeady are expected to be fit for Sunderland’s league game against Bristol Rovers this weekend despite missing the Black Cats’ FA Cup defeat against Walsall.

The duo were absent as Jack Ross made five changes for the second-round replay against the Saddlers.

Gooch and McGeady were suffering the after-effects of playing for more than 70 minutes on a waterlogged pitch at Accrington Stanley before torrential game saw the match abandoned.

Ross opted not to risk them in the cup, with important league fixtures coming up in the weeks ahead.

Ross confirmed: “Both were muscle injuries from the weekend.

“I wanted to win the Walsall game, I will not say I didn’t and that going out of the cup is irrelevant to me. Far from it.

“It stings not to win the game and to be out of the competition.

“I am stating the obvious here, I would rather have Aiden and Lynden available for the league game on Saturday.

“They should be fine for Saturday.”

Sunderland’s cup exit means the Black Cats’ fixture pile-up has become no worse, whereas had they progressed they would have a third-round game at Bolton on January 5 - meaning their league game at Charlton would have to be rescheduled.

Instead, that game will be played on third-round weekend, January 5, as planned.

Ross was disappointed at his side’s tame surrender in the cup - but the fixture situation offered a small crumb of comfort.

He added: “I have said the league is a priority but it is not a night to focus on that.

“It would be disrespectful to Walsall, because I did not pick a team not to progress.

“We wanted to win but once the dust settles, and when we have a league game on January 5 rather than a cup game with another league one to squeeze in, it is not the worst thing in the world.

“It feels like it now, because we have not lost many this season and not many in this stadium, so it hurts.

“There is a plus side to it in some ways.”