SUNDERLAND are facing the prospect of being without influential Argentinian Julio Arca as they look to join Norwich and West Brom in the Premiership next month.

Arca was a late withdrawal from the side that drew 0-0 at Wigan on Saturday after suffering a recurrence of a long-standing knee problem in training 24 hours earlier.

The 23-year-old missed five games last month after injuring the joint in the FA Cup quarter-final success against Sheffield United.

And, while that problem appeared to have cleared up, it has reappeared to place a question mark over Arca's availability for the crucial final weeks of the campaign.

The versatile left-footer was sent for a scan last night to assess the damage and Black Cats boss Mick McCarthy will be eagerly awaiting news of the results this morning.

McCarthy is facing something of a defensive crisis as Arca is just one of four injury doubts ahead of Saturday's crucial Stadium of Light showdown with Crewe.

Gary Breen and Jason McAteer have both been forced out of the Republic of Ireland squad for this week's friendly in Poland because of minor knocks they picked up at Wigan. McAteer has a slight hamstring problem and Breen is nursing a sore knee after mounting a spirited rearguard action at the JJB Stadium.

George McCartney has also pulled out of the Northern Ireland squad for their game against Serbia and Montenegro as he battles to be fit for the weekend.

The Sunderland skipper has not played since injuring his knee in the eighth minute of the recent 1-0 defeat to West Brom.

The Black Cats have picked up just one point from the last available 12 after failing to find the net in more than six hours of football.

They will be desperate to end that sequence against a Crewe side almost clear of the relegation dogfight because, thanks to a strange quirk of the fixture list, three points would be enough to guarantee their place in the play-offs.

They might only be two points clear of seventh-placed Crystal Palace, but a win on Saturday would still leave Sunderland in an uncatchable position.

Ipswich play Sheffield United on Friday night, and West Ham travel to Wigan on the final day of the season, so only a maximum of three teams could pass Sunderland were they to reach the 75-point mark.

McCarthy is desperate to clinch a play-off spot as quickly as possible but, whatever league the Black Cats are in next year, the former Republic of Ireland boss is already looking forward to the return of one of his side's forgotten stars.

Midfielder Colin Healy hasn't kicked a football since breaking his leg in the 1-1 draw at Coventry in early December. The Irish international has been working on a strenuous recuperation programme and was finally able to walk without crutches this week.

McCarthy admits that it hasn't been easy for the 24-year-old to watch Sunderland's progress from afar, but he is confident Healy will be firing on all cylinders come the start of next season.

"We're certainly hoping that he's going to be back on track by then," revealed McCarthy. "I've had a word with the physio about him and I've told him that Colin's target is July for the start of pre-season training.

"It's been hard for the lad and he's obviously been down.

"He's a quiet, unassuming kind of lad, but he's been very diligent and very professional in terms of his recovery.

"He's restless because there's only so much swimming and gentle exercise that a footballer can do. But he's getting there now. He's walking unaided and that's a major step along the way."

* Midfielder Sean Thornton is in the Ireland U-21 side which takes on Poland's youngsters in Grudziaz this afternoon. The team also includes Scarborough's Stephen Capper.

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