Sunderland want to bring in Alan Curbishley as a firefighter for the remainder of the season.

The Mirror says the Black Cats are poised to pounce after Ricky Sbragia's bad run of results left them on the brink of the drop.

But the timing is delicate as Curbs faces a court hearing on Friday to sort out his claim for constructive dismissal by West Ham, with a £1million-plus pay-off on the line.

He has turned down all other approaches so far, but Sunderland would like a quick answer. However, the date of the hearing means that Ricky Sbragia should still be in charge against struggling Hull on Saturday.