Sunderland have had a dismal season so far, with the Black Cats facing the very real possibility of a second successive relegation which would see the north east side playing in League One next season.

Chris Coleman's men are now five points from safety with just one win to their name in 2018.

However, fans will recognise that the problems don't start with the manager or the players, with owner Ellis Short desperate to get rid of the club and not showing must interest in recent years.

Given their situation, Coleman will have not welcomed the news that Paddy McNair faces another spell on the sidelines after injuring his groin in the first-half of the 3-3 draw with Middlesbrough on Saturday.

As our graphic shows, the former Manchester United man has been limited to just eight appearances this season because of injury problems.

That follows on from years of knee problems that has prevented McNair from ever getting a real run in the team.

Therefore, it's perhaps unsurprising that the Northern Ireland international has had a mixed impact when he's out on the pitch.

Although capable of playing in defence, Coleman has used McNair in midfield and may have expected more than 1.1 tackles per game from a physical, defence-minded player, whilst he also gives away 1.5 fouls a game which could be a problem.

Yet, the 22-year old wins two aerial dues per game as well as boasting a 75.4% pass success rate which is reasonable for his position.

Overall though, McNair's limited impact highlights how Sunderland struggle in such a critical area of the pitch.

Thoughts, Sunderland fans? Let us know in the comments below.