Tony Mowbray confirms Sunderland will look to bring in Corry Evans replacement

Injury blow to force Sunderland to reassess transfer targets.

Tony Mowbray has admitted that the season-ending injury to Corry Evans is forcing Sunderland to reassess their January plans.

Evans was forced off early in the 2-0 win over Middlesbrough and subsequent scans have shown an anterior cruciate ligament problem. He will undergo surgery and won’t be able to return this season.

That has left Sunderland in a dilemma. Sunderland strengthened their midfield ranks by signing Pierre Ekwah from West Ham earlier this week, although Mowbray does not see him as comparable to Evans.

Therefore, Sunderland may now be looking at other options in the remaining days of the transfer window.

“We’ve had some initial conversations and have to wait and see how it impacts the other stuff we might be trying to do.

“We tried to bring in extra competition with Pierre and Edouard and now the news about Corry, does it change the dynamics? It’s not something we were thinning we needed and were pushing on with other areas of the pitch.

“We have a few days to potentially look at it and if something can be done we’ll wait and see. I don’t sit here thinking everything has stopped and we are now focusing on that.

“Watching Pierre today training he looks to me like he’s full of energy, has a lovely left foot, brings good balance to the squad. It’s just that he hasn’t played a first-team game.

“That’s not really a replacement. He was brought in to supplement the good players, the likes of Corry and Dan Neil, Edouard [Michut]. We have to be careful we don’t end up with a load of kids playing in central midfield and a crucial position of the team.”

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