Sunderland won't be happy to hear the latest news on Alex Pritchard, with Alex Neil revealing to The Shields Gazette that his injury is a 'concern' and it means he could be sidelined for a little while.

While the injury itself has yet to be determined - and a timescale hasn't been put on his return - the news from the Black Cats boss that it doesn't appear to be great will be worrying to many supporters who have seen the player thrive recently.

He's featured 32 times in the league for Sunderland so far this year and with four goals and seven assists, he has been one of their main providers in front of goal. With the League One side chasing promotion too - and it's getting to the nitty gritty of the season - they won't want to lose one of their most exciting attacking players.

The reality though is that his injury doesn't appear to be an easy one to recover from judging from what Alex Neil has said about the situation. Since the former Preston and Norwich boss has taken the helm at the Stadium of Light, he has utilised the 28-year-old frequently and he has usually produced the goods too.

Against Charlton, he was arguably one of Sunderland's most impressive players despite the draw. Before that, he provided an assist and created plenty of other chances in the Black Cat's 3-0 dismantling of Wigan.

Now, speaking to The Shields Gazette, Alex Neil has revealed just what he thinks about the injury and it doesn't sound promising. He said: "The biggest concern for me is Alex Pritchard, who has been fundamental for me since I came here. His injury at the moment doesn't look good, so that is a concern.

"I asked him how he was, and it doesn't sound good."

The Verdict

Alex Pritchard has played much higher up the football pyramid previously and although he tailed off in his later years with Huddersfield, when they were floating around near the bottom half of the second tier, he has re-found some form at Sunderland.

Especially with Alex Neil at the helm, he has looked one of the most creative outlets and best forward players available at the Stadium of Light in recent weeks. To now lose him will be a huge blow for the Black Cats.

The hope might be that it isn't as bad as they initially fear and that a scan will reveal an injury that he can easily recover from. If he is ruled out for the remainder of the campaign though, it would put a huge dent in their hopes of a top six spot.

Sunderland have already slipped down the table and if they lose a player like Pritchard, they won't want that to let them fall even further and they'll need to find a solution as soon as possible if he does happen to be ruled out.