SUNDERLAND will gamble on Craig Gordon at the end of the season.
The Scotland goalkeeper, the second most expensive in Premier League history, is yet to play this season after a knee operation.
Time is running out for the 29-year-old to prove his fitness before his contract expires this summer.
Unless Gordon can usurp Simon Mignolet and Keiren Westwood and show his worth, manager Martin O’Neill is resigned to the Scot’s deal expiring.
He said: “There is not much I can do about that.
“Craig is coming back from injury and is a very fine goalkeeper, but sometimes you just have to run a few risks and if it happens that way (that Gordon leaves on a free transfer) it just happens.
“I am just not in that position to offer anybody anything.”
O’Neill has an embarrassment of riches between the sticks.
He added: “Westwood went out through illness and the young lad Mignolet has come in and done fine.
“With Craig coming back it will be interesting.
“We look as if we have three quality goalkeepers for one position, not the sort of strength we have anywhere else. That is a concern.
“It would be great if I knew exactly the strengths of all three players by the time the season ends.
“Simon is the player in position who has done very well. Keiren did well and must be a bit frustrated.
“Craig is just now getting back to fitness. We can always loan someone out and that might give me a quicker answer.” Despite his worries about the rest, O’Neill is yet to bid for anyone, despite rumoured interest in Papiss Demba Cissé just before Newcastle United made him January’s biggest signing to date.
He added: “I have had conversations with Ellis (Short, Sunderland’s owner) but they have not really been businesslike.
“If something does materialise that would be great.
“My only concern is when we arrive at February 1.
“Have I been pursuing targets? I have to say the answer is no at the moment.
“I would not know Cissé intimately in that sense, but I was aware of him.
“I had not done anything, so well played Newcastle.
“It is not a major concern (that Sunderland were portrayed as missing out to Newcastle). I have had more than the occasional Sunderland fan saying, ‘We got beaten to that one’ but we didn’t really.”
