Sunderland’s Premier League relegation battle has taken a severe blow with news that striker Steven Fletcher and captain Lee Cattermole have been ruled out for the remainder of the season.
The Black Cats are firm candidates for the drop, sitting just four points above the bottom three with eight games of the campaign remaining.
Cattermole has been plagued by knee problems this season, but it is the loss of top scorer Fletcher that will be the real body-blow to Martin O’Neill’s team who face the daunting prospect of meeting champions in waiting Manchester United at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.
A statement on the club’s official website read: ‘Sunderland have confirmed today that striker Steven Fletcher and captain Lee Cattermole will miss the rest of the current campaign due to injury.
‘Cattermole underwent an operation on his knee earlier today and Fletcher sustained ankle ligament damage whilst on international duty with Scotland.
‘It is not known at this stage if Fletcher will require an operation, with the injury requiring further assessment in the coming weeks.
‘Both players will play no further part in the Black Cats 2012-13 Barclays Premier League season.’
Fletcher has found the net 11 times for Sunderland so far this season, the club’s next highest scorer is penalty taker Craig Gardner with six.
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