Sunderland's Fraizer Campbell to miss most of next term

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Campbell may need second knee operation

Sunderland striker Fraizer Campbell will undergo a knee operation on Wednesday and is expected to miss most of next season.

Campbell damaged his cruciate ligament in August and has not played since.

The striker had surgery after the initial injury but as he prepared to return he twisted his knee ahead of the defeat at Manchester City on 3 April.

Campbell, 23, has scored seven goals in 40 games since his £3.5m move from Manchester United in July 2009.

His last appearance for the Black Cats was in the 1-0 win over Manchester City on 29 August.

With Manchester United loanee Danny Welbeck struggling with a hamstring problem, Sunderland manager Steve Bruce will only have one fit senior striker - Asamoah Gyan - for Saturday's home Premier League match against Wigan.

Bruce revealed his fears over Campbell last week, saying: "We do fear that he might need another operation and that could rule him out for the best part of next season.

"We think the surgeon needs to go and have a look inside his knee again and if it does need repairing again, then Fraizer is going to miss the best part of next season as well, which is an even worse blow for us and more importantly, for the kid.

"Nobody could have done his rehabilitation better than he did but he fell over and twisted it on the Friday before we played Manchester City."

Meanwhile, Sunderland defender Titus Bramble has been told that he is unlikely to play again this season.

The 29-year-old former Ipswich, Newcastle and Wigan player has failed to recover from a knee cartilage injury which has sidelined him for the last two games, but it is not thought that he needs an operation.

Bramble said on his Twitter account: "Just been told that I'm unlikely to play again this season. I don't need an operation, so that's a bonus."

He added: "Will work hard and make sure I'm right for the start of next season."