Smith fears Black Cats will tumble

SUNDERLAND will miss their departing AFCON players next month and can only hope they don't slide too far down the table in their absence.

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That's according to Sky pundit and ex-Arsenal striker Alan Smith in his weekly column for BestBettingSites.co.uk.

Smith spoke of the expectation the Black Cats would slip down the Premier League table at some point.

He said: “It is a blow. | suppose when you bring in these boys, you have to accept that you are going to lose them.

“And | was just looking at the lineup for the last game, and there were three who started, who look like they are going to the AFCON.