Darron Gibson suspended by Sunderland following arrest

He was involved in a crash on Saturday

Sunderland midfielder Darron Gibson was involved in a car crash on Saturday afternoon, just before his teammates were about to play Preston North End at the Stadium of Light. Gibson was not expected to play due to injury but was thought to be on his way to the stadium to watch the match. The Irishman was seen being arrested on Saturday afternoon, and Sunderland have since issued a statement on the situation, which reads as follows:

Sunderland AFC has suspended Darron Gibson with immediate effect, after the player was charged with driving with excess alcohol on Saturday 17 March. The football club has commenced a full investigation into the matter. Sunderland AFC’s chief executive, Martin Bain said: “We expect the highest standard of behaviour from our players and should any individual fall short of those standards then robust action must be taken.”

Sunderland remain in the relegation zone of the Championship and are in real danger of suffering from successive relegations. They are five points adrift of safety with eight matches remaining in the season. Chris Coleman's side haven't won in their last ten league matches and sit on just 28 points at the bottom of the table.