He told the Sunderland Echo: "Lynden has had his foot stamped on, he'd actually had a problem with his foot all week so I assumed it was the same injury, but it wasn't.

"It's really sore, bruised and twisted as well. He's carried on and at half time he was in a lot of discomfort, so we brought him off. "Whether he can recover in two or three days [before Blackburn] we'll have to wait and see."

Big blow

This injury could be a big blow for Mowbray if it causes him to miss the clash with Rovers, and any matches after that, as the wing-back has been a reliable presence in the team this season. Gooch has started all 14 of the club's games in the Championship so far this term, which shows how much faith his managers have had in him at this level. Alex Neil picked him every week and nothing has changed since the new head coach came in to replace the Scotsman. The versatile American has put the hard work in to get himself up and down the flank this season, creating 0.6 chances and making 2.3 tackles and interceptions per match. He has not been a standout performer for the Black Cats, averaging a SofaScore rating of 6.77, but his consistently solid performances have been enough for him to keep his place in the team for every single game. Only three other outfield players have started all 14 outings in the Championship and this highlights how much the manager trusts him. Gooch has not let the team down defensively this season, with zero errors leading to shots or goals, and has chipped in with one goal and one assist at the other end of the pitch. Therefore, losing him against Blackburn could be a big blow for Mowbray as he would be without one of his most reliable performers in a key position at wing-back. The manager will now be hoping that the injury is not a long-term problem and that he'll be available to face Rovers in the coming week.