Steven Fletcher’s injury not as bad as first thought

Scotland striker Steven Fletcher’s shoulder injury is not as serious as was first feared, according to Sunderland’s interim head coach.

The frontman dislocated his shoulder during his side’s 3-0 Barclays Premier League defeat at West Brom, and there were concerns that he could be sidelined for several months.

However, Kevin Ball has revealed that the latest prognosis is much more positive.

Ball said: “The news is better than we expected. Hopefully, it will be four to six weeks, which is great news.”

Fletcher, who was the Black Cats’ top scorer with 11 goals last season, missed the end of last season and the start of the current campaign after undergoing ankle surgery.