Sunderland suffer yet another big injury blow as Régis Le Bris confirms Tommy Watson setback

Sunderland head coach Régis Le Bris has confirmed that Tommy Watson is facing around two months on the sidelines.

Watson had emerged as a key player in the absence of Romaine Mundle, scoring a brace against Stoke City before suffering an impact injury midway through the first half of the 1-1 draw with Bristol City days later.

The 18-year-old has suffered damage to both his knee and his ankle and Le Bris confirmed in his pre-match press conference that he is expected to be absent for around eight weeks. Defender Luke O’Nien is expected to be back in the squad following a recent illness, with Le Bris saying he would ‘probably’ be available in selection.

“Tommy should be out for two months to recover properly,” Le Bris said.

“It was a big impact – he could have scored, but in the end he will be out. It’s part of his journey and part of his career to be faced with these problems. Tommy started well with the team, but now he has to wait.”