Lee Cattermole did not feature for Sunderland in League One at the weekend.
The Black Cats will take on Port Vale away from home in the first round of the FA Cup this coming Sunday.Cattermole did not feature for Sunderland in their 2-0 victory over Plymouth Argyle away from home in League One this past weekend.
The 30-year-old defensive midfielder did play due to a foot injury, and Sunderland boss Ross has suggested that the former Middlesbrough and Wigan Athletic star will sit out the FA Cup tie against Port Vale as well.
Ross told The Chronicle about Cattermole: “Lee has had an ongoing foot problem since the Shrewsbury game.
“To his credit, Lee played through a lot of pain against Doncaster and then in particular against Southend, but I would suggest we will probably be without him again next weekend but hopefully after that he will be back to fitness.
“It was something we couldn’t risk flaring up and developing into something more long-term.”
Silver lining
Cattermole is one of the best players in the current Sunderland team, and there is no doubt that the Black Cats will miss the defensive midfielder against Port Vale.
Injury to the 30-year-old is bad news for Sunderland fans, but the positive is that he will miss ‘only’ an FA Cup tie.
Sunderland are unlikely to win the FA Cup this season, and Cattermole missing the tie this coming weekend rather than another league game is a positive.
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