FORMER York City loan ranger Mark Maley has undergone surgery on an eye injury following a freak accident involving an air pistol.
Maley was hit by a pellet accidentally fired from the gun by Sunderland team-mate John Oster after the pair had been larking about.
Neither Maley, whose season-long deal at Bootham Crescent was cut short by a thigh injury, nor Welsh international Oster, who is also on the Stadium of Light injury list with crucial ligament damage, knew the pistol was loaded.
Maley, a former England Under-18s skipper, will now find out in the next few days the extent of the injury when he visits a specialist.
In a statement Sunderland confirm the incident saying: "It was an unfortunate accident as neither player believed that the air pistol was loaded.
"John Oster deeply regrets the incident but this highlights the danger of air guns.
"Mark Maley has had an operation on his eye and is scheduled to see a specialist again in the next few days.
"It is too early to know whether he will need further treatment or what the final outcome will be."
Updated: 11:48 Friday, April 26, 2002
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