Colin Healy will return to Sunderland today for talks with manager Mick McCarthy that may spell the end of the Republic of Ireland international's ill-fated, two-and-half-year spell at the Stadium of Light.

The Corkman's contract with the Premiership strugglers expires on Monday, and, having paid him through a period during which he has suffered a succession of serious injuries, the club have informed him that if he wishes to stay on beyond next week he must complete his rehabilitation from injury without pay.

There is some annoyance on the player's side, however, that McCarthy, who has just had a bid for Ian Harte rejected by Spanish side Levante, has said he is only a matter of weeks away from resuming competitive football and yet the club insist he play for the first team before they resume paying him.

Healy, who is close to McCarthy personally, wants to stay with the club, but his agent, Eamonn McLoughlin of Platinum One, says there has been interest from one Premiership and four "serious" Championship sides in the 25-year-old, who will become a free agent if talks break down.

Most of the other clubs would also require Healy to prove his fitness, but McLoughlin finds this more acceptable from people who have not been working with him daily.

"The fact is that when we spoke to Mick he was enthusiastic about the way Colin was progressing and confident that he could have him back playing reserve-team games within two or three weeks," he says.

"It now seems that the board has decided that it doesn't want to spend any more money, which is desperately disappointing in the circumstances. Colin would like to play for Mick and for Sunderland, but he doesn't feel he should have to prove his fitness to people who have seen him on the training ground recently. If the situation can't be resolved then he'll certainly be listening to other offers."

Healy has been desperately unlucky since moving to Sunderland from Celtic in 2002. But the player believes he has fought back from two badly broken legs and now needs only to shake off a relatively minor knee problem before he can return to first-team action.

He has played just 20 games for the club, but performed impressively when fit during his first season and would probably be an automatic first choice for McCarthy if he could re-establish himself.

McCarthy, however, was sticking to the official club line yesterday when he spoke to the local media in Sunderland. "There is a contract for him to come back here and train with us, be part of it, get himself fit, be covered by the insurance and play in the reserves - and I would welcome him back. But there would be no financial reward for that.

"He was getting there fitness-wise and it's down to him now whether he decides to continue getting fit here or whether he chooses to do it somewhere else.

"I have phoned him," he added, "and asked him to come back and have a chat with me about it when he has had time to think. I'm hoping that he comes back and trains with us, but I am not certain that will be the case."