MICK McCarthy will spend the next seven days scouring the transfer market in an attempt to ensure Sunderland are not left cursing their luck in the most crucial month of the campaign.

The Black Cats boss has resisted the urge to tinker with his squad since he shelled out £15,000 to sign Andy Welsh from Stockport in November.

But, with next Thursday's transfer deadline looming, he is currently assessing his options before deciding whether or not to introduce new blood for the final push towards the Premiership.

At this stage of last season, McCarthy signed Carl Robinson on loan from Wolves and, while the midfielder was unable to guide Sunderland into the top two, he added both experience and quality at a time when the Black Cats were beginning to flag.

With crucial away games at both Wigan and Ipswich to come next month, McCarthy knows that a dip in form could prove terminal to his side's promotion hopes.

And, with most of his first team squad away on international duty next week, the former Republic of Ireland boss will be doing everything he can to make sure an injury or two does not hamper Sunderland's hopes.

"I'm looking around," confirmed McCarthy, who will be looking to guide his side to their sixth successive victory when Coventry visit the Stadium of Light tomorrow.

"I'm happy with the squad I've got - very pleased with them - but, if I could add to it, I might.

"When the deadline is gone with seven games to go, it would be 'Sod's Law' that something went wrong and someone got injured.

"We've got 13 or 14 players away on international duty next week and you can never be certain what's going to happen there. When others are getting a rest, we're going to have a lot of players away.

"If I could supplement the squad I would think about it. It would be nice to cover our backs in case injuries or other problems cropped up."

McCarthy's primary concern is his side's attack.

Kevin Kyle and Michael Bridges are both on the injury list, leaving Sunderland with just three strikers - Stephen Elliott, Marcus Stewart and Chris Brown - fighting for two first-team spots.

Bridges' thigh problem is almost certain to keep him out of tomorrow's game, while Kyle has not featured in the first team since August's defeat at Reading.

The Scotland international has undergone a series of operations on his hip.

While McCarthy has refused to rule him out of the rest of the season, it would be a major surprise if he played a pivotal role between now and the end of May.

He will continue his rehabilitation in a reserve-team game with Nottingham Forest next Tuesday but, after suffering more hip pain following a brief run-out against the same side last month, Kyle's long-term recovery will not be risked for the sake of a short-term gain.

"Kevin's had such a long lay-off that he's inevitably finding himself stiff after he's trained," explained McCarthy. "He's getting aches and pains, but that's only to be expected.

"In terms of the injury itself, everything's OK. He's taking it gradually but he's making good progress.

"We're happy with his rehabilitation and, if things keep going to plan, he might be involved in the first team before the end of the season. That's only a 'might be' though, because there's still a long way to go yet.

"We'll have to see what happens when he steps up his fitness and starts to get more game time under his belt.

"The plan is to play him in the reserves next week, and we'll see how things go from there. It's still a bit early to be making precise predictions."

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