Vito Mannone has been ruled out for three months because of an elbow injury.
Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero celebrates scoring their first goal as Sunderland’s Vito Mannone looks dejected
Sunderland were dealt a massive injury blow today when manager David Moyes confirmed that goalkeeper Vito Mannone could be sidelined for three months because of an elbow injury.
It’s another injury headache for the Sunderland boss to deal with, as the start to his reign at the Stadium of Light has had its challenges.
Sunderland manager David Moyes
Moyes told reporters at his pre-match press conference, as reported by the BBC live blog (09:43): “Vito Mannone has torn ligaments in his elbow and we’re waiting to see whether it will require surgery. He will be out a minimum of three months. We definitely need to look for another goalkeeper because we only have a young goalkeeper after Jordan Pickford.”
The Italian started the first two games of the season and seemed to be the number one goalkeeper for the campaign, but now Jordan Pickford is expected to get a prolonged run of games. Pickford made a total of three appearances for the Black Cats last season but has had first team football experience in the Football League thanks to several loan spells.
Sunderland’s Jordan Pickford
Pickford played in the EFL Cup win over Shrewsbury Town in midweek and managed to record the side’s first clean sheet of the season.
Sunderland fans on Twitter seem pretty content with the idea of the 22-year-old keeping goal for a short while if not beyond, and there’s recognition it could be a huge opportunity for him. Some rate Pickford higher than Mannone but there is a general wish for a speedy recovery for the Italian.
Here is a selection of what has been said:
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