Sunderland boss faces up to defensive crisis for QPR trip

Both Tyias Browning and John O’Shea picked up knocks in the first half of last night’s 3-0 defeat to Aston Villa, with Browning immediately replaced by Billy Jones and Joel Asoro replacing O’Shea at half-time.

Sunderland travel to Loftus Road in dire need of three points and Coleman looks set to have limited options in his backline.

He said after the game: “We have one [centre-back] at the minute. Billy played in there tonight.

“It will depend on how John reacts.

“Ty will be a big doubt, Jake will serve the third game of his suspension. At the minute, we have [only] Lamine as a natural centre half.

“Ty has had a problem in his knee for a while, he struck one as the ball went out of play. I think that’s what it is.

“John had a whack early in the first half, I think it is on his gluteus muscle or the top of his leg.

“He couldn’t run it off.

“The delay when he stopped moving at half-time, he couldn’t get it moving. He might have an outside chance depending how it settles.”

Coleman was left exasperated by his team’s defending against Villa, heading down the tunnel moments after James Chester scores his side’s second goal right on half-time.

Former Black Cat Lewis Grabban had opened the scoring and the Sunderland boss said his side must do the basics better.

He said: “He didn’t have to work too hard for that goal, did he?

“We may as well kick off, run through, put the ball in and then we’ll start playing.

“The first goal we give away is poor. We have to take care of our business and we didn’t we gave it up, it is about us at the end of the day.”