Sunderland manager Chris Coleman has said that his side were “naïve and nervous” during their defeat at the hands of Middlesbrough in the FA Cup on Saturday.
The Black Cats were booted out of the competition through goals from Rudy Gestede and Martin Braithwaite.
The defeat will do nothing but further deplete the confidence of the Black Cats who are rooted to the bottom of the Championship standings and who face a difficult challenge to ensure survival this season.
After the match, Coleman said: “One or two of [the players] are out for a few months and have had scans, but could one or two be doing a bit more to be with us? Yes,” the Welshman told The Mail.
“We’re in a dogfight and you don’t go into a dogfight with kittens, that’s for sure. I just need whoever is ready for it and the boys today were ready.
“We were naive and nervous but at least they were out there having a go. These are the players we need, and they need support in terms of strength and depth.”
They also lost top scorer from this season Lewis Grabban who was recalled by his parent club Bournemouth.
