Sunderland will be unable to call upon Luke O'Nien for at least the next three months of the season, and potentially much longer, manager Lee Johnson has revealed.

O'Nien has made 22 appearances in all competitions for the Blacks Cats this season, scoring three goals and providing one assist in that time.

However, the versatile 27-year-old was absent from Sunderland's 2-1 win at Cambridge on Saturday afternoon, that saw the club climb to fifth in the League One table.

That was due to a shoulder injury that O'Nien has previously been playing with, and it now seems that problem could be set to keep him on the sidelines for an extended spell.

Providing an update on O'Nien following that win at Cambridge, Johnson was quoted The Gazette as saying: "He needs to have an operation.

"He’ll be out for three months minimum, anywhere between three and nine depending on how much they have do."

O'Nien only signed a new contract with Sunderland this summer, securing his future at the club until the end of the 2023/24 season.

Next up for Sunderland in the league is the visit of Oxford United to the Stadium of Light on Saturday afternoon.

The Verdict

It is hard not to feel like this is a huge blow for Sunderland in all honesty.

O'Nien is a key player for the Black Cats, and in a season where they are once again pushing for promotion, he will no doubt be a big miss.

Indeed, the 27-year-old's versatility is a key asset for Johnson's side, and the fact they no longer have that could force them into some tricky calls from a tactical perspective.

Add in the fact that Sunderland are already struggling with a number of other injuries to senior players, and this is a piece of news they could certainly have done without.