Sunderland will be without Charlie Wyke for two months.
Sunderland have been dealt a major blow to their promotion hopes after striker Charlie Wyke was ruled out for two months with medial ligament damage.
A proven League One goalscorer, Wyke – a summer signing from Bradford City – was expected to be the man to fire Sunderland back to the Championship, but he is now set for the sidelines again having arrived injured to begin with.
That leaves Sunderland short up top, with Jerome Sinclair, Josh Maja and Andrew Nelson the only strikers available, and manager Jack Ross may need to head into the free agent market to add somebody with more experience.
There are a number of options available, and one of the more appealing possibilities should be striker Marko Futacs, who is a free agent having been released by Hajduk Split.
The Hungarian, 28, stands at a huge 6ft 5in tall, and would bring the physicality in attack that Sunderland may well lack without Wyke leading the line.
A full international with three caps to his name, Futacs also has experience in England, having turned out for Portsmouth, Leicester City and Blackpool, but hasn’t been in English football since 2013.
Recently, the giant striker enjoyed great success in Croatia with Hajduk Split, smashing 24 goals in 44 games, before being released this summer, and he is now looking for a new club.
Given his experience in England, his availability and his physical attributes, Futacs should be a top target for Sunderland as a free agent following Wyke’s injury, with Ross desperately needing an experienced hitman to come in.
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