SUNDERLAND are reeling from yet another serious injury blow after Duncan Watmore was ruled out for the rest of the season with a cruciate knee ligament injury.

Watmore damaged his knee in the closing stages of Saturday’s 2-1 win over Leicester City, and left the field on a stretcher.

He underwent a series of scans earlier today, and the results have revealed ligament damage that will almost certainly prevent him playing again this season.

The news is a bitter blow to Black Cats manager David Moyes, and means Watmore is the latest in a lengthy line of midfielders to have suffered major injury problems in the last few weeks.

Paddy McNair has also been ruled out of the remainder of the campaign with a cruciate injury of his own, while Lee Cattermole faces at least another two months on the sidelines after undergoing hip surgery.

Lynden Gooch suffered a serious ankle injury while playing for Sunderland’s Under-23 team last week, meaning Moyes is running short of midfield options.

The return of Seb Larsson and Jan Kirchhoff, who both came off the bench at the half-time interval of last weekend’s game has helped, and Sunderland are also set to welcome back Fabio Borini in the next few weeks.

However, they will miss Watmore’s pace and energy, with the England Under-21 international having started Sunderland’s last eight matches.

The winger has provided some valuable width, and acted as a counter-balance to Victor Anichebe, who has been cutting in from the opposite flank.