Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce has revealed that January signing Jan Kirchhoff will miss "a couple of weeks" with a hamstring injury.
The German defender was forced off after just 15 minutes of his side's 2-1 victory over Manchester United at the Stadium of Light having pulled up with the muscle problem.
However, Kirchhoff may not miss any action, with Sunderland's next match not coming until an away game against West Ham United on February 27.
"[The new boys were] absolutely fantastic, apart from Jan who picked up the hamstring, but hopefully he'll be fit in a couple of weeks," Allardyce told the club's official website.
"We have a couple of weeks now for all the injuries to recover for the trip down to West Ham United.
"It is a good break to recover as many players as we can and get them out on that field and try and continue where we've left off."
Sunderland's victory over the Red Devils took them to within one point of safety in the Premier League table.
Barney Corkhill
