Sunderland boss Roy Keane is facing up to the prospect of losing midfielder Dickson Etuhu for up to six weeks following his inclusion in Nigeria's African Nations Cup squad.

Keane has had some time to get used to the idea following the 25-year-old's elevation to the senior international ranks earlier this season.

However, his inclusion in Berti Vogts' preliminary 31-man squad for the tournament, which gets under way in Ghana on January 20 and runs until February 10, has significantly increased the chances of a prolonged absence.

Vogts' insistence that his players meet up for a training camp in Spain two weeks before the competition has increased the pressure on their clubs, and Keane is well aware how much his £1.5million summer signing from Norwich could be missed.

He said: "Of course it is bad news, but it's out of our hands.

"There are a lot of clubs worse off than us - some have four or five players away.

"We are disappointed because the size of the squad here is not the biggest and injuries or people away are the last thing we need.

"But Dickson has been doing well and you cannot stop a player going away and representing his country. We wish him well.

"Hopefully, they will get knocked out quickly and he will be back with us!"

However, Keane admits he knew the situation when he signed Etuhu.

He told the club's official website: "When we signed Dickson, we knew what we were getting ourselves into, we knew he could be called up for this tournament.

"It could be at a better time of year but as I say, we are not the worst hit."

Etuhu has figured in all but two of Sunderland's 17 games to date this season, but could miss as many as six following the Premier League trip to Blackburn on January 2.

Keane has cover in central midfield with skipper Dean Whitehead, Grant Leadbitter, Dwight Yorke and Liam Miller, who will have completed a three-match ban for his sending-off at Chelsea on Saturday by the time the Nigerian departs, all vying for places.

However, the Irishman will dip into the transfer market once again next month and amid speculation that he could have as much as £20million to spend on top of the £35million-plus he invested during the summer, the rumour machine has started turning.

Reports from London on Wednesday suggested Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell, who seemed set to sign for derby rivals Newcastle before Glenn Roeder's departure, is a £5million target.

Sidwell has struggled for first-team starts since his move to Stamford Bridge from Reading, and Keane could certainly offer him more regular football should he decide that is what he needs.

But the Black Cats have already been linked with a lengthy list of targets, the latest Manchester United defender Wes Brown and Blackburn striker Jason Roberts.

There is little doubt Keane will have cash at his disposal as Niall Quinn's Drumaville consortium backs him once again, but Keane, who has already drawn up his list, admits identifying the men he wants and persuading them to head for Wearside are two different things.

His cause will not have been helped by his side's return to the bottom three in the wake of their 2-0 defeat at Chelsea on Saturday which has made Saturday's visit of Aston Villa to the Stadium of Light all the more significant.