Sunderland striker Victor Anichebe has been ruled out for up to 10 weeks with a knee injury.
The 28-year-old picked up the problem during his side's 2-0 defeat at the hands of former club West Bromwich Albion at the weekend, a result which left them bottom of the Premier League table.
Subsequent scans have confirmed knee ligament damage, and Anichebe is now expected to be sidelined until the beginning of April, ruling him out of as many as eight Premier League games as Sunderland battle to avoid the drop.
"Sunderland manager David Moyes has confirmed that Victor Anichebe sustained knee ligament damage against West Bromwich Albion," read a statement on the club's official website.
"The injury occurred as a result of a tackle in Saturday's 2-0 defeat at The Hawthorns, and it could sideline the striker for up to 10 weeks."
Anichebe is one of only four players to have scored for Sunderland in the Premier League this season.
