Sunderland have confirmed that Jan Kirchhoff will spend a minimum of six weeks on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury.
The 26-year-old was stretchered off in the second half of his side's 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion at the weekend and has now undergone a scan on the problem.
The results have confirmed that he will miss six to eight weeks of action, potentially keeping him out until early December.
"Jan Kirchhoff has been ruled out for a minimum of six weeks after suffering a hamstring injury during Sunderland's draw against West Bromwich Albion," read a statement on the club's official website.
"The former Bayern Munich player was stretchered off in Saturday's game at the Stadium of Light, and in order 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 midfielder will now focus on returning to action as soon as possible."
Sunderland, who are still winless in the Premier League under David Moyes, will take on fellow strugglers Stoke City after the international break.
Barney Corkhill
