... has facial injuries worse than was first thought.
"Ahhh bless him", I hear you say.
Bendtner suffered a broken nose when he was caught in the face by Swansea defender Angel Rangel's boot during Saturday's 2-0 Premier League clash in Mackemland.
Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill: "He's got a bit more than a broken nose. It's difficult to put a timescale on it, but it's going to be lengthy.
"We thought at one stage he might be okay. The early signs, even on Sunday morning, were that it looked as if it might be okay.
"But he's going to be out for a number of weeks now, which is definitely a blow to us.
"He has a few cracks and we just have to bide our time with that. That's a big blow to us and to the lad himself, who was beginning to enjoy a decent spell of football for us.''
Bendtner had been arrested in connection with an alleged brawl at the Hilton, in Gateshead.
A Northumbria Police spokeswoman said: “At 2.18am on Thursday, September 13, police received a report of a fight at the Hilton Hotel in Gateshead.
“Officers attended and two men aged 23 were arrested to prevent continued breach of the peace.
“After investigations, both men were released without charge.”
SAFC declined to comment.
Bendtner and club captain Lee Cattermole are currently on bail in connection with an alleged car-wrecking spree in Stowell Street, Newcastle, last month.
After that arrest, he issued a statement in the Danish media saying: “I am extremely sorry for all of this.
“I apologise sincerely that I have allowed myself to get involved in things that are interpreted in such dramatic fashion.
“I fully assume responsibility for not distancing myself from these incidents before they got out of hand.
“The error is mine alone and I am sorry that I have let so many people down.
“Basically I am a normal guy with an extraordinary job.
“I tend to forget this at times but deep down I know these things.
“And it does not serve as an excuse for me letting myself get caught up in this.
“I admit my sense of judgement has been less than perfect lately.”