LYNDEN GOOCH has been ruled out of Sunderland’s game at Blackburn Rovers tomorrow evening with the foot injury that forced him out of Saturday’s home win over Wigan.

Gooch was forced off at the break at the weekend after suffering a foot issue in the first ten minutes of the game, and while the problem is not believed to be serious, the defender is set to have a scan later today.

As a result, he will not be involved at Ewood Park tomorrow, with Luke O’Nien expected to continue at right-back after shuffling across to fill the position in the second half on Saturday.

Sunderland head coach Tony Mowbray said: “I don’t think Lynden’s going to be available, although it’s Lynden Gooch we’re talking about, so he might well come in and say he’s feeling great.

“It’s not a really serious one, although I think he is going to get a scan today just because if he’s got discomfort, we need to make sure that it’s either nothing and something he can almost strap up and get on with, or if it is something more serious, we’ll be able to put a timescale on it.

“You always have to factor in the human being you’re dealing with, along with his pain threshold and how he deals with stuff.”

Ellis Simms will not be part of the squad tomorrow, but the striker is continuing to make progress as he continues to recover from his own foot problem.

The Everton loanee has stepped up his training schedule in the last few days, although he is yet to take part in a full-contact session.

Mowbray said: “He (Simms) ain’t far away, to be honest. He hasn't joined in with the team yet, but he’s been on the training pitches and watching him the last couple of days, he’s going box to box, doing little volleys and side-foot passes, a bit of twisting and turning as well.

“So, it’s telling me, without sitting down with the physios, that he’s getting closer and closer. Fingers crossed that over the next few games, at some point you see him on the bench and he won’t be that far away.”