Sunderland vs Newcastle preview - Cattermole could make derby return

Posted Sunday, January 16, 2011 by PA

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is keeping his fingers crossed over skipper Lee Cattermole and striker Danny Welbeck ahead of Sunday's derby clash with Newcastle.

Cattermole was told he needed to rest a back injury for a month at the start of the new year, but Bruce has given him a 50-50 chance of making the game, while Welbeck, who was initially ruled out for three weeks with the hamstring problem he suffered at Aston Villa on January 5, is in a similar position.

Defender Nedum Onuoha should return from a hamstring injury and Bolo Zenden is available after suspension, but David Meyler is facing around 10 weeks on the sidelines after further damaging his cruciate ligament at Villa.

Michael Turner (knee) is out and John Mensah (ankle) is expected to be missing once again, while Fraizer Campbell (knee) continues his recovery.

Goalkeeper Craig Gordon has warned his team-mates not to get caught up in the derby atmosphere once again as they attempt to set the record straight against arch-rivals Newcastle.

The 28-year-old Scotland international was a stunned bystander as he watched the Magpies' 5-1 rout of their neighbours at St James' Park on October 31 from the bench following his return from injury.

Belgian Simon Mignolet was the man who had to pick the ball out of his net five times after Kevin Nolan plundered a hat-trick and Shola Ameobi maintained his impressive record against the Black Cats with a double.

Amid the soul-searching which engulfed Wearside in the wake of the club's worst derby defeat in more than 50 years, Bruce admitted that his team had been too young, too naive and had simply not turned up for what for the fans represents one of the two biggest games of the season.

Gordon said: "It's a time for calm heads. If the manager said that's what he thought the main problem was the last time, then I am sure he is spot-on with that.

"He has had a lot of time to reflect on it, as we all have, and we will be making sure that doesn't happen again.

"We have got a few players back from injury and suspension now and we are slowly starting to get our squad back together, although it is not at full-strength, as Newcastle won't be.

"It's a case of both squads being tested to the full, especially after the amount of fixtures we have had recently, and it will be a time for experienced players to go in there and play the game."

Newcastle striker Andy Carroll will not be included in the squad despite travelling to Dubai for a warm weather break in a bid to aid his recovery from a thigh injury.

He will be joined on the sidelines by midfielder Cheik Tiote, who begins a three-match ban, and that means the Magpies will be without arguably their best two players of this season to date at the Stadium of Light.

However, Jose Enrique (illness), Steven Taylor (hamstring), Jonas Gutierrez (leg) and Shola Ameobi (ankle) should all be available, and midfielder Dan Gosling has been included in the squad for the first time after his return from the long-term knee injury with which he arrived from Everton during the summer.

Manager Alan Pardew will target victory in his first Wear-Tyne derby despite being hampered by an injury crisis.

However, while he admits he cannot promise a repeat of October's 5-1 win at St James' Park, he is hoping the result is similar.

Pardew said: "The one thing you can guarantee is it is not going to be the same result in terms of the scoreline, but we hope for the same result in terms of a win.

"We can go there off the back of two wins in the Premier League confident, and that's what I hope to put on that pitch on Sunday, a team that is confident, that is assured of what they are doing and that can turn in a performance the fans will be proud of."