Injuries pile up as Oviedo ruled out
BRYAN Oviedo will be out of action until Christmas as Sunderland’s injury problems continue to mount.
Oviedo limped off in the second half of Sunderland’s home defeat against Reading last weekend with a hamstring problem.
In his absence, on-loan Everton defender Brendan Galloway is likely to start at Championship leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers this weekend.
Midfielder Paddy McNair will also miss out on the trip to Molineux due to the groin injury he picked up in the warm-up ahead of the Reading game.
Didier Ndong and Billy Jones are back in training but not yet ready to return.
With Callum McManaman serving a one-match ban due to his red card against Reading, and with Duncan Watmore, Lamine Kone, Jonny Williams, and Jack Rodwell, already ruled out through injury, Chris Coleman is down to the bare bones.
“As far as players coming back from injury are concerned, the earliest one will probably be Paddy McNair in the middle of next week,” he said.
“Bryan Oviedo is going to be out for another two or three weeks, Didier Ndong and Billy Jones did a light training session with us today which was very positive and a step forward but they are not ready yet.
“Then you’ve got the longtermers like Duncan and Jonny.
“Lamine Kone will be four to six weeks maybe, Jack maybe another week. And of course it is a shame Callum is suspended.
“It feels as though it is bad news after bad news at the moment, but we have to keep believing.
“We have to try and turn things round on the pitch with what we have already got, at least until we reach the January transfer window.”
Coleman will at least have striker James Vaughan available again after he was forced to sit out the game against Reading through suspension, after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season in the win at Burton Albion.