Reyna may miss rest of campaign

The Sunderland midfielder Claudio Reyna has been ruled out for six months – which is effectively the remainder of the season – with a cruciate ligament injury.

Scans confirmed the extent of the injury, which the American international midfielder sustained during Monday's 1-1 Premiership draw with Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium. The US national team orthopaedic consultant, Mandel Boum, flew in from the States yesterday to see Reyna and deliver the bad news.

The 29-year-old needs an operation, but surgery cannot be carried out until the swelling has settled, so it will be scheduled for between two and three weeks' time in Los Angeles.

The new Sunderland manager Howard Wilkinson said: "We will find out in the next three or four weeks how much we will miss Claudio," he said. "His problem is somebody else's opportunity.

"Obviously you don't want to to lose good players, but the fact is we have lost him and we have to move on. If he is back in contention before the end of the season, that is going to be a bonus.

"Fortunately these days knee injuries are nowhere near career-threatening as they used to be and it's a fact of life very few footballers go through their career without having a serious injury."

West Ham United's Scottish international midfielder Don Hutchison has suffered a setback in his quest for a speedy return from a knee injury.

Hutchison damaged the same knee in a behind-closed-doors reserve-team friendly against Queen's Park Rangers that had been arranged to hasten his comeback. But the Hammers' manager Glenn Roeder revealed that the injury was not to the cruciate ligament which required surgery.

"He shook his knee up and created some fluid, but it's nothing to do with the injury he had before," Roeder said. "He was hoping to be ready next week but it could now be another two or three weeks more."

John Gregory insists he has no regrets over his departure from the club. Villa topped the Premiership a year ago, but Gregory's relationship with the club soon turned sour and he left shortly before taking over at Derby County in January. The Rams were relegated last season and now face financial difficulties, but Gregory insists he is enjoying himself much more.

"I was not happy at Aston Villa and felt I had taken them as far as I could," he said. "It was my decision to leave. I have come to a club where I am happy to work.

"We still have the same problems but they are obstacles I can get over."