SAM Allardyce was grateful for the breathing space created by a free weekend as he surveyed the damage of last night's demoralising defeat at Sunderland.

The result - former Burnden favourite Jason McAteer scored the only goal just before half-time - left Wanderers just one point above the Premiership drop zone and turned the Reebok clash with Derby on Saturday week into a game of mega-importance.

But it was the casualty list as much as the fixture list that was concerning the manager as he counted the cost of the Stadium of Light defeat.

Already without Simon Charlton (knee) and Fredi Bobic (calf and ankle), who did not even make the trip to the North-east, Wanderers lost key defender Mike Whitlow with a broken rib and top scorer Michael Ricketts with a twisted ankle.

And with only nine games left to mount a survival mission, they are problems Allardyce admits he can ill afford.

"They are damaging blows for us if they are going to be out for any considerable period," the manager conceded. "So it was not only a bad night for us in terms of the result but also a bad night in terms of those key players being injured.

"But we have a breather this weekend because we are out of the cup and, hopefully, that will give us enough time to get the injured players fit so that we can have as big a squad to select from for the Derby game, which is now one hell of a pressure game for both sides.

"One perhaps in which we are under more pressure than them because they are not expected to get out and we've started to slip down there a little bit more. Blackburn winning last night has put even more pressure on us."

Ricketts, restored to the attack when Bobic's bruised calf worsened and caused him problems around his ankle, tried to play-on after pulling up suddenly five minutes into the second half but limped off seven minutes later.

"It's sore," he said. "First half someone came across and took my ankle and the second half I went over on it.

"I was on the treatment table so I wasn't able to see the reaction in the dressing room after the game but everyone's disappointed and obviously with Blackburn winning it leaves us just the one point above them."