Sunderland Football Club News

• Nickname:Black Cats
• Founded:1879
• Manager:Martin O'Neill

• Ground:Stadium of light
• Capacity:48,353

Cats hopeful over Chopra

31 Dec 2008 - 12:56:27

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Sunderland are hopeful that recently returned loan striker Michael Chopra will be fit to face Bolton Wanderers in the FA Cup on Saturday.

Chopra returned to the Stadium of Light from his loan spell in the Championship with Cardiff City at the beginning of the week.

The £5million striker scored five goals in 11 appearances for the Welsh club.

He was recalled by Ricky Sbragia as the newly-installed Black Cats manager is keen to cast his eye over every member of his first-team squad.

"Michael's come back with an ankle injury, there's a lot of bleeding there but we're hoping he will be okay for the game," he told the club's official website ahead of the third round tie.

Meanwhile, Sbragia has also recalled striker Roy O'Donovan from his loan spell in Scotland with Dundee United.

"It's not quite worked for Roy up there. It was going well but he got suspended and he found it difficult to get back in the team after that. It would have been unfair to leave him up there," he added.

"We'll see how hit fitness is and then we've got to consider whether to send him back out on loan for his football experience."