We can only presume Koné has been taking in t

Have you ever known a footballer’s injury to be met with as much open scepticism as Lamine Koné’s “bad back”? It’s the sort of thing I used to say to PE teachers when we had to play something called rugby.

Bad back is a decidedly vague diagnosis. Footballers usually have sexy injuries like shuddering cartilage, or housemaid’s metatarsal. Cynicism is rife.

But Koné has said: “I give my word that I will give my utmost <to Sunderland> in training and on the field.”

That’s good enough for me. No question of malingering. No way.

The subject of a derisory £18m bid from Everton, Koné has been to Merseyside recently. This must have been for the Magical Mystery Tour of Beatles landmarks (£16.95 including commentary); otherwise there could be outrageous accusations of tapping up.

Last week he was offered an improved contract by Sunderland, which he turned down. The terms were unsatisfactory, although you wonder if they would have sufficed had not the club’s desperation been heightened by the sale of his colleague. The bad back came 24 hours after Kaboul’s departure.

There has been no word recently from Koné’s agent; or from other equally respected members of society such as fly-tippers, burglars and people who drink White Ace cider in telephone boxes.

Agents truly are a sceptic boil on the bum of football; parasitic chancers, merely serving as conduits for illicit approaches for