Sunderland have been dealt a blow with the news that Stephen Elliott has been ruled out for six weeks after undergoing ankle surgery.
The Republic of Ireland striker had been hampered by an ankle strain for the past month but it failed to respond to rest and recuperation.
The former Manchester City forward went under the knife yesterday but manager Roy Keane is hoping he will return before the end of the season.
Keane said: 'Stephen had an operation on his ankle. He has been struggling with it for three or four weeks and it's similar to the problem he had on his other ankle.
'It's not a major disaster in terms of how long he will be out. Hopefully he will come back stronger and finish the season well.'
