Source: PA
Bruce banking on Malbranque
Steve Bruce is desperately hoping Steed Malbranque will rediscover the goalscoring form he showed in his Fulham and Tottenham days to help Sunderland through their injury crisis.
The 31-year-old was brought to the Stadium of Light by former manager Roy Keane in the summer of 2008 after making his name in the Premier League as a goalscoring midfielder.
But in the three seasons since Malbranque has managed only one Premier League goal - in a 4-1 win over Hull in December 2008 - and was one of the players guilty of missing golden chances in the 3-0 home defeat by Fulham.
The Sunderland boss said: "It's quite incredible. I saw the other day that (Clint) Dempsey overtook Steed as Fulham's all-time Premier League top goalscorer with 33 goals.
"He's a fantastic little player who gives you everything he's got but since he came to Sunderland I think he's got one Premier League goal in three years.
"It's a difficulty when you're looking for a goal and somebody of his ability, when he's running through you think surely this is the day. He didn't take it."
