SUNDERLAND last night sacked £10m winger Adam Johnson, but Sam Allardyce is still convinced he has the forwards capable of keeping Premier League football at the Stadium of Light.

The Wearside club confirmed Johnson has had his contract terminated with "immediate effect" following his guilty pleas and ahead of the trial which is due to begin at Bradford Crown Court today.

Allardyce had confirmed earlier in the day that Johnson would not face Manchester United tomorrow before a club statement was issued at 7.35pm explaining how the decision had been made to end the reputed £50,000-a-week footballer's three-and-a-half years with Sunderland.

On Wednesday, Johnson, a former Manchester City and Middlesbrough footballer, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual activity with a child and one count of grooming.

The 28-year-old – who scored the equaliser at Liverpool last Saturday - continues to deny two charges of sexual activity with a girl aged under 16.

The statement read: "In light of Adam Johnson's guilty pleas, the club has today terminated his contract with immediate effect. The club will make no further comment."

Sports manufacturer adidas had earlier issued a statement revealing it had also terminated the Easington-born footballer's boot sponsorship in light of the pleas.

Allardyce, who had already ruled out the England international from facing Manchester United, wants to focus on the football and he revealed Duncan Watmore and Jeremain Lens face injury lay-offs.

It has emerged Lens, who missed last week’s draw at Anfield, has a hernia problem and it is hoped he will return to fitness when the squad head for Dubai for a warm weather training camp on Monday.

But there is no chance of Watmore, who damaged his ankle during a fall in the draw with Liverpool, being fit for the game at West Ham on February 27 after damaging ligaments.

Sunderland last month allowed strikers Danny Graham and Steven Fletcher to join Blackburn and Marseille respectively, yet Allardyce is convinced he still has the numbers to cope having brought in Wahbi Khazri for £9m from Bordeaux and Dame N’Doye on loan from Trabzonspor before the transfer window closed.

Allardyce, speaking yesterday afternoon and before Johnson's sacking was confirmed, said: “Duncan is a bit of a blow. We’ve got Fabio (Borini), N’Doye, (Jermain) Defoe, Wahbi … I think we’ve got enough.

“When you see how many teams go with not that many forwards, we are the same as some of the top boys. What do Chelsea do without Diego Costa? What do Man Utd do without Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial? We are not that light compared to the others.”

Watmore has started the early stages of his recovery with a stint in the cryotherapy chamber introduced at the Academy of Light. Even using the latest technology, however, the 21-year-old forward still faces time out.

Allardyce said: “It’s too early to tell how long. He is in a boot! He stays in that for ten days and then we will reassess it once all the swelling has gone down and somebody can make a clinical decision, then we will see whether it is three, five or six weeks. But it is going to be quite a long time.”

Defender Younes Kaboul has turned his ankle in training so has suffered a setback in his recovery to return to action, but he stands a chance of facing West Ham if the break in Dubai goes well.

Manchester United arrive on Wearside with Sunderland desperate for a victory to end a run of four matches without a win which has harmed the club’s survival chances.

Despite encouraging displays against Manchester City and Liverpool, the Black Cats remain four points shy of fourth from bottom Newcastle.

Even though the transfer window has closed, Allardyce is considering ways of strengthening his squad by looking at the market for free agents.

Former Arsenal right-back Emmanuel Eboue – who left the Gunners to join Galatasaray in 2011 - is training with the club and is an option, although a deal to sign the 32-year-old has not been agreed.

Allardyce said: “At the moment it is a fitness regime to get him fit enough to play. If we can get him fit enough then we will play a couple of games. If Emmanuel Eboue still has what he had at Arsenal then he will be very important for us this season.”