Sunderland boss Paolo di Canio insists Lee Cattermole can still have a future with the club.
The midfielder is currently recovering from another knee injury picked up in his latest game for Sunderland's Under 21 squad last week and is expected to be fit next week, just before the transfer window closes.
Di Canio said: "He's working. He had a problem eight days ago, in the Under 21s, and now he's in recovery. Obviously, we're going to see what's going on. At the end of the window, the picture is going to be clearer for everybody. Then we are going to work on him.
"At the beginning he wasn't fit. He wasn't here, then when we came back he also had a problem. There was a chance he had to move somewhere, it didn't happen for different reasons, we can't say why, it is between the club and player.
"He didn't train with us, but now we are waiting to see what is going on. If, at the end of the window he's gone, he's gone. If he stays, we are going to work on him."
