Source: Daily_Mail
Fixing a hole: McCartney set to ease Sunderland defensive crisis ahead of cup clash
Get back: George McCartney is set to return to the Sunderland line-up after a two-month lay-off.
Sunderland manager Ricky Sbragia has major defensive problems for Sam Allardyce's second return to Wearside since he was overlooked for the Sunderland vacancy and took over at Ewood Park.
With Paul McShane cup-tied, Sbragia is down to just four fully fit defenders - Pascal Chimbonda, Anton Ferdinand, Danny Collins and Phil Bardsley.
Sbragia said: 'George has been in full training for five or six days now with no problems and we did consider playing him in the reserves game midweek but we thought that might be a fraction too early for him.
'We think he’ll probably make the bench on Saturday and if he does, we’ll be looking to maybe give him 20 minutes at the end, if the game works out that way. We’ll just look to give him the feel of it again.
'If he comes through that, then we’ll be looking towards Tuesday’s game against Fulham and maybe easing him in there.
George is a naturally fit lad. He’s lucky that way and that means it generally doesn’t take him long to get up to speed again. He just needs match practice now.'
Scotland Number One Craig Gordon is also close to a return after a long-term ankle problem which has also kept him out since mid-October, although he did make one abortive comeback in Roy Keane's final game in charge which Sunderland lost 4-1 at home to Bolton Wanderers.
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