Desperate Di Canio could be left with just 12 Sunderland players for crunch relegation finale against Spurs



Sunderland will be down to just 12 fit and available outfield players for their final game of the season at Tottenham Hotspur.

With on-loan Spurs defender Danny Rose ruled out of the last game at White Hart Lane because he is ineligible, Sunderland’s manager Paolo Di Canio will be without seven senior players for what could prove to be a critical must-win game.

Black Cats boss Di Canio’s squad has been ravaged by injuries and suspensions and now, following his red card against Stoke City last night, midfielder Craig Gardner is out for the remaining two games against Southampton and Spurs.

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Short of numbers: A combination of injuries, ineligibility and suspensions could leave Sunderland manager Paolo dD Canio with just 12 available outfield players for the final match of the season against Tottenham

Missing: Danny Rose (left) will be ineligible to play against Spurs because he is on loan from them, while Craig Gardner (right) will be missing through suspension after receiving a red card against Stoke last night



Former Birmingham City midfielder Gardner, who was sent off at an identical stage of the season during the Blues’ relegation campaign two years ago, was dismissed for a two-footed challenge on Stoke’s Charlie Adam in the 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light last night. He has been handed an immediate three-match ban.

His suspension follows playmaker Stephane Sessegnon’s red card at Aston Villa in last week’s Monday night mauling. Sunderland unsuccessfully appealed against the Benin star’s three game ban after his equally ugly tackle on Yacouba Sylla.

That already left the Sunderland squad stretched for the crucial game against fellow strugglers Stoke on Monday night and Di Canio had untried youngsters Mikael Mandron, who made his brief Barclays Premier League debut at Villa Park, and Liam Marrs among his substitutes last night.



Suspended: Stephane Sessegnon was sent off in Sunderland's 6-1 humiliation at Aston Villa last Monday and he will miss the last two games of the season

Inexperienced: Youngster Mikael Mandron (centre), seen here on debut against Villa last week, could be thrown into Sunderland's relegation battle

THE RELEGATION RUN-IN

Wigan (Form: WLLDW): Swansea (h);

Arsenal (a); Aston Villa (h)

Newcastle (DLDLD): QPR (a); Arsenal (h)

Norwich (DLWLL): WBA (h); Man City (a)

Sunderland (LWWLD): Southampton (h); Tottenham (a)

Southampton (WDDLL): Sunderland (a); Stoke (h) Aston Villa (WDLWW): Chelsea (h); Wigan (a) Fulham (DLLLL): Liverpool (h); Swansea (a) Stoke (LLWWD): Tottenham (h);

Southampton (a)

Youngster Jordan Laidler, who like Marrs has yet to make a senior appearance, was on the bench for the previous two games.

Of the players he inherited from Martin O’Neill, Di Canio was already without long-term injured Lee Cattermole, Steven Fletcher, Wes Brown and Titus Bramble. They are all unlikely to return for the final two games.

That left defenders Phil Bardsley and Matt Kilgallon among the subs, plus Wales midfielder David Vaughan, who made a brief appearance as a replacement for Seb Larsson.



The Swede hobbled off in the dying minutes, along with England winger Adam Johnson, who will be protected for the rest of the week, ahead of the visit of Southampton on Sunday.

Di Canio said he had no arguments with referee Lee Mason’s decision to dismiss Gardner 33 minutes into Monday night’s 1-1 draw.

Into the fray: Welsh midfielder David Vaughan (right), who usually starts on the bench, could be thrust into the team for the last two matches against Southampton and Tottenham

But the Italian knows the lack of discipline among key players could cost his team their Premier League status.

Di Canio said: 'It is obvious we have to stop what we are doing with yellow and red cards. We will be in trouble. We don’t have to help the others, we have to help ourselves.’

Rash: Di Canio had no complaints over Craig Gardner's red cad for this challenge on Stoke's Charlie Adam