Nigeria youngster Josh Maja has been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign – just days after scoring his first goal since leaving Wearside.
The 20-year-old left the Black Cats for Ligue 1 side Girondins Bordeaux in January after a drawn-out contract saga.
And after taking some time to adapt to life in France, the youngster looked to have found his feet for the top flight after netting his first goal for the club against Nimes last weekend during his new club’s 2-1 defeat.
But the striker’s joy didn’t last too long after he was forced to leave the field of play through injury – curtailing what looked set to be a positive performance for ex-Swansea City manager Paolo Sousa’s side.
French outlet 20minutes now claim that Maja has suffered a cruciate ligament injury, while there is also damage to his meniscus.
They report that the striker is currently expected to be out for six to seven weeks – meaning his season is over.
It is now expected that Maja will undergo surgery to rectify the problem, which will also allow medical staff the chance to accurately assess his injury.
Manager Sousa had been asked about the extent of the injury after the weekend’s defeat – with the Bordeaux boss revealing he was impressed with how the ex-Sunderland star performed.
“He had something on his knee, but I think we need a few days to know what’s going on, it’s our medical staff who will give the information,” he said.
“He brought energy, with the ball he already interacts well with the players close to him and they all communicate well, but without the ball he has to know better what to do.
“It was a true striker’s movement, as he likes a lot, I hope his injury is nothing serious.”
