Kyle facing Black Cats exit

Sunderland striker Kevin Kyle fears he has played his last game for the club.

The 25-year-old, who has fought a battle against a hip cartilage injury to save his career, could leave the Black Cats this week as chairman and manager Niall Quinn plans a major overhaul.

Kyle is yet to start a game since Quinn took over, and amid interest from Coventry and Stoke, admits Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at Southend may have marked the end of his time at the Stadium of Light.

He told the Sunderland Echo: “There is a strong possibility I might be moving on. There is talk, but it’s up in the open at the moment.

“I’ll have to speak to the manager, but we’ll see what happens. I don’t know which clubs are interested, but there’s obviously some interest from around the division we are in.”