Sunderland have confirmed that January signing Bailey Wright has been ruled out for eight to 12 weeks with an ankle injury, which he sustained in the weekend’s triumph over Oxford United.

Having signed at the Stadium of Light in January, Bailey Wright became one of a number of signings made by Phil Parkinson to bolster his squad in key areas of the pitch, building a much stronger spine.

The signing of Wright has paid immediate dividends for the Black Cats, as he has helped them to the best defence in the top four divisions in 2020, conceding just two goals in the last five games with four clean sheets.

In their most recent game, a 1-0 win over the Oxford, Wright had to be taken off late on after he suffered an injury to his ankle, to which the club knew the injury would be set to keep him sidelined for a lengthy period.

The club have now confirmed that he is set to be out for eight to 12 weeks, seeing him sidelined until at least the middle of April and potentially beyond then until the end of the season in May.

Speaking to the club’s official website, Phil Parkinson reflected on the blow to his defence: “It didn’t look good at the time and further tests have unfortunately confirmed that he will miss eight to 12 weeks.

“It’s a blow for the squad, but more than anything we are disappointed for Bailey because he’s come into the team and played really well. 

“I’m sure he will come back stronger, but as I have mentioned many times before, the lads currently out of the team have been excellent and we have good options available in his absence.”

The news is obviously a huge blow for the Black Cats in their hunt for promotion and the fans were quick to express their disappointment at the news...

How much do you know about Sunderland's signings?