Source: Northern_Echo
Gordon facing up to six months out
Sunderland keeper Craig Gordon is set to be sidelined for up to six months after undergoing knee surgery.[LNB] The Black Cats today confirmed that the 28-year-old Scotland international had an operation in Sweden yesterday.[LNB] Manager Steve Bruce told the club's official website, www.safc.com: ''Craig had the operation yesterday and it went well. He will be out for about four to six months now.''[LNB] Gordon had travelled to Scandinavia to consult renowned specialist Professor Hakan Alfredson for the second time in the hope that surgery could be avoided.[LNB] He had earlier been given a programme of exercises designed to strengthen the knee by Prof Alfredson.[LNB] However, as Bruce had hinted on Friday, it was obvious that there was no alternative once the second examination had taken place and the decision was taken to carry out the operation.[LNB] Bruce added: ''Craig's been following a programme, but when the specialist had a look at the knee again, we were left with no choice but to go ahead with the surgery.[LNB] ''That just sums our luck up at the moment.''[LNB] The news will have come as a blow to Bruce, who said in the wake of Saturday's 2-0 Barclays Premier League defeat at Birmingham that plans for Gordon's operation, if necessary, would be put on hold until the end of the season.[LNB]
