Sunderland midfielder Jan Kirchoff will be out of action for six to eight weeks after the German suffered a hamstring injury in Saturday's 1-1 Premier League home draw with West Bromwich Albion.

The former Bayern Munich player, who joined the struggling north-east club on an 18-month deal in January, was carried off on a stretcher at the Stadium of Light.

"...to assess the extent of the injury the 26-year-old underwent a scan which revealed he will be out for six to eight weeks," the club said on their website (www.safc.com) on Tuesday.

Sunderland are propping up the table with two points from seven games and next visit second-bottom Stoke City on Oct. 15.