Source: Northern_Echo
Setback keeps Catts out for another month
SUNDERLAND have been rocked by another injury blow after skipper Lee Cattermole was ruled out for at least another month.[LNB] Cattermole, who has not made a senior appearance since December's 2-0 defeat to Blackpool, is struggling with a long-standing back problem.[LNB] The Stockton-born midfielder visited a specialist earlier this week to discuss the injury, which has not responded to the treatment that was meted out last month.[LNB] Black Cats boss Steve Bruce had been hoping Cattermole would receive the all clear to return to full training next week, but instead, a prolonged period of rehabilitation has been proscribed.[LNB] The tough-tackling 22-year-old is likely to be sidelined until early March at the earliest, and could miss the rest of the season if surgery is the only way to eradicate the problem.[LNB] A serious knee injury forced Cattermole to miss a large chunk of last season, and the Teessider is known to be understandably frustrated at his latest setback.[LNB] The news is also a considerable blow to Bruce, who will also be without another central midfielder, David Meyler, for another two or three weeks.[LNB] Meyler, who damaged knee ligaments in last month's 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa, is hoping to step up his training schedule next week.[LNB] In the absence of both Cattermole and Meyler, Bruce will be hoping new signing Sulley Muntari makes an impact at the heart of his side's midfield.[LNB] Muntari was an interested observer as Sunderland lost 4-2 to Chelsea on Tuesday, but having completed the technicalities of his loan move from Inter Milan at the start of the week, the Ghana international is expected to make his Black Cats debut in Saturday's Premier League game at Stoke.[LNB] You don't play for Inter Milan for no reason do you, said Kieran Richardson. He's a top-quality player and he could be a really great acquisition for us. It's great to have him around and I think all the lads are looking forward to playing with him.[LNB] He's obviously played in England before, so he knows what the Premier League is all about. Hopefully, if he does come into the side at Stoke on Saturday, he'll hit the ground running.[LNB] Sunderland's other January signing, Stephane Sessegnon, made his debut on Tuesday night, and while he did not see too much of the ball, the 26-year-old Benin international produced enough composed touches to suggest it will not be too long before he starts posing an attacking threat.[LNB] He looked very comfortable on the ball, but we've already seen that in training, said Richardson, who scored his third goal in the space of two matches as Chelsea atoned for their November defeat at Stamford Bridge. He's comfortable in possession and always keen to get on the ball.[LNB] It's obviously going to take him a bit of time to get used to things because it's tough in the Premier League, it's so fast compared to what he's probably been used to. But I'm sure he'll come good for the team.[LNB] I don't really think we've seen him in full flight in training yet. We hear that's very quick, but I'm sure there are a few of the lads looking forward to taking him on.[LNB] Saturday's trip to the Britannia Stadium continues a difficult run of fixtures that will also see the Black Cats entertain Tottenham before playing back-to-back away games at Everton and Arsenal.[LNB] They will attempt to cement their sixth-placed position without the services of leading goalscorer Darren Bent, who joined Aston Villa for £24m last month, but Richardson is simply relieved that the uncertainty caused by the January transfer window is at an end.[LNB] I think we're all just pleased January is over with to be honest, he said. We lost Darren, who was our top goalscorer, and we obviously wish him all the best. He did a lot of good things for this club.[LNB] But we've made two great additions to the squad and we're ready to move forward. Hopefully, they can do the business for us and help us in the second half of the season.[LNB]
