Sunderland attacker faces anxious wait over injury

The luckless attacking substitute hobbled off late in the 1-1 draw with Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.

Nelson sustained suspected medial ligament damage, having lasted only four minutes at the Northern Gas & Power Stadium.

Having started the previous three games, including an excellent debut, he was named on the bench for the visit of the second-placed Pilgrims.

The teenager, on loan at Pools from Sunderland until the end of the season, suffered a knock within seconds of replacing Nathan Thomas in the 84th minute.

But no sooner had he recovered from physio Ian Gallagher’s treatment that he was hurt again, with Lewis Hawkins coming on to replace him in the 88th minute.

Manager Dave Jones had sent on Nelson in a bid to find a winner and he felt for the youngster.

“He got a smash in the face then a knee injury when he went in for a tackle,” he said. “It looks like he has strained his medial knee ligaments.”

Nelson joins a growing list of patients in the medical room, following the hamstring injury to Matthew Bates and Liam Donnelly’s ankle problem.

While Nelson must be rated a doubt for Saturday’s trip to play-off hopefuls Colchester, Donnelly is responding to treatment.

Bates is unlikely to return until next month, while skipper Billy Paynter (Achilles) is struggling to regain fitness.

Defender Rob Jones (knee) and Trevor Carson (shoulder) are both long-term absentees, the keeper will not play again this season.

There is some good news with right-back Carl Magnay due to resume training after recovering from knee surgery.