Source: Northern_Echo
McCartney is granted a move to Leeds
SUNDERLAND boss Steve Bruce has given George McCartney the go-ahead to move to Leeds United on loan despite Sunderland's left-back crisis.[LNB] Bruce hopes to discover the extent of the hamstring injury sustained by Kieran Richardson this morning, amid fears that he could be out for a number of weeks.[LNB] With Anton Ferdinand, a suitable short-term alternative, also struggling with a similar problem after being forced to withdraw against West Ham United on Tuesday, Bruce could have denied Leeds the chance to sign McCartney.[LNB] However, having not handed the Northern Irishman a squad number this season, Bruce confirmed the full-back will still be allowed to join the Championship club for four weeks.[LNB] McCartney has fallen out of favour under Bruce, who has been trying to move the player on since the first transfer window opened at the start of the year.[LNB] A knee ligament injury suffered during pre-season prevented him from heading out earlier, despite tentative interest from Birmingham City.[LNB] The hope is that he will impress sufficiently for a more long-term deal to be brokered, which would strengthen Bruce's cause of bringing in a new left-back in January.[LNB] It is an indication of just how poorly McCartney is regarded by the Sunderland manager that he is allowing him to leave at such a difficult time.[LNB] Richardson has been impressive in that role this season, but Bruce outlined after Tuesday's defeat to West Ham in the Carling Cup that the player had been struggling with a hamstring problem for the final 20 minutes of the tie.[LNB] But with all three substitutes used, Bruce had little choice but to keep him on the pitch as Sunderland tried to claw level.[LNB] Now Bruce is having to consider his options ahead of Saturday's trip to Liverpool, with whoever plays left-back asked to play out of position.[LNB] Nedum Onuoha and Phil Bardsley, a centre-back and right-back by trade, are the leading candidates.[LNB] Ordinarily Matt Kilgallon could also have played in that position, but he has still not recovered from the back injury that forced him to cut short his season-long loan at Middlesbrough.[LNB] Sunderland are already without Michael Turner (ankle) and John Mensah (calf) through injury, although Titus Bramble is expected to be fit after missing out against West Ham with a slight knock.[LNB] Bruce was disappointed with the manner in which Sunderland dropped out of the Carling Cup on Tuesday, having outlined 24 hours earlier an intention to win it.[LNB] And goalkeeper Simon Mignolet said: It is annoying because we felt we could go far in the competition, and of course I would have liked a good cup run in my first season here.[LNB] West Ham played better and deserved to win. They had more chances.[LNB] I know they are bottom of the league, but they did not have that pressure on them in this game.[LNB] They had nothing to lose and they did well and defended well.[LNB] We found it difficult to keep the ball and cause them problems.[LNB]
