Sunderland AFC defender Jordan Willis has suffered additional complications to a knee injury following surgery and has today undergone a further operation.
The 26-year-old, who suffered the initial injury during a fixture against Shrewsbury Town in February, is expected to be out of action for a further nine to 12 months.
Willis remains under contract at the Stadium of Light until June 2022 and all at SAFC are committed to supporting the defender throughout his rehabilitation process.
Lee Johnson said: “First and foremost, we are here for Jordan on a human level – if he needs to reach out to anyone of us, we will help him as much as we possibly can. On a professional level, we are gutted because of what a good player he is and what he brings to the squad – on and off the pitch – in terms of personality and performance. We will support him in any way we can to get him back to his pomp as soon as possible.”