Sunderland are reportedly targeting two free agents as Phil Parkinson looks to add depth to his side ahead of the promotion run-in.Â
Speaking to Chronicle Live's James Hunter, the Black Cats boss revealed that he is looking to sign free agents in the near future, which comes after an injury to Bailey Wright.
Sunderland have previously confirmed that Wright is set to be ruled out for 8-12 weeks with an ankle injury that he picked up in their recent win over
Wright has been a key member of the Sunderland defence that has kept four clean sheets in their last five games, which has seen them move into promotion contention.
The 27-year-old arrived on loan with Sunderland from Championship club Bristol City, and will be frustrated to have been hit with an injury blow.
The Black Cats are currently sat fifth in the League One table, but are just three points adrift of league-leaders Rotherham United in the third-tier standings.
Sunderland are next in action on Saturday, when they host Bristol Rovers in a game they'll be expected to pick up three valuable points from to keep their promotion hopes alive.
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The Verdict:Â
It's good to see Parkinson moving quickly to replace Wright in the Sunderland team.
He's really impressed me since arriving on loan from Bristol City, and he'll leave a sizeable void in the Black Cats defence for the near future.
I'm not sure which free agents he'll be targeting at this stage of the season though, but it's crucial that they fit the way Sunderland play, and aren't just 'panic buys'.
Alim Ozturk is a good enough replacement for Wright in the short-term, but Sunderland could definitely benefit from signing players to add to the depth heading into the final stages of this year's campaign.