Sunderland keeper Gordon suffers broken arm

Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon will miss the start of the Premier League season after undergoing surgery on a broken arm.

Gordon fractured a bone in his arm during a training session and Sunderland have confirmed the Scotland international will be out for several months following Thursday’s operation.

“He is set to miss the start of the season as he undergoes rehab on the damaged arm,” a statement from the club announced.

Black Cats assistant manager Eric Black admitted it was a freak injury.

“Craig was just on the ground, we were throwing and catching and up, throwing catching as part of the warm-up,” he said.

“I was over with the outfield players and he just went down on it and I could see straight away there was something wrong – and he knew straight away, he heard it.

“Unfortunately, we don’t at this moment in time have a real definitive timescale for when he will be back.

“It’s a massive disappointment, it’s a real blow, obviously more for the player, but certainly for ourselves.”

Gordon joined Sunderland for nine million pounds from Scottish club Hearts in a British-record deal for a goalkeeper.

The 27-year-old also suffered a broken arm in November last year after being caught by what he described as a “poor challenge” from Tottenham’s Jermain Defoe.

With Gordon sidelined, Sunderland boss Steve Bruce will have to start the season with either Simon Mignolet from Belgian side Sint-Truidense or Marton Fulop as his goalkeeper unless he makes another signing.

Black added: “The manager is going to have to reflect over the next 48, 72 hours to see where we go on that.

“It’s a problem that’s going to have to be looked at pretty closely.”

Gordon’s injury is likely to rule him out of Scotland’s opening two European Championship qualifiers against Lithuania and Liechtenstein, while he must also be doubtful for October’s clashes with the Czech Republic and Spain.

Scotland manager Craig Levein said: “It is obviously very disappointing to lose a goalkeeper of Craig’s calibre for such a significant part of the campaign.

“I am as disappointed for the player himself as I am for the country because I know how hard he has worked to overcome a series of injuries.

“Craig has been an exceptional goalkeeper for Scotland – a talisman in fact – and I think after getting a metal plate inserted in his arm last season, he was getting back to his best form for Sunderland.”