Source: Daily_Mail
Sunderland star Cattermole ruled out until the New Year after knee injury
Sunderland midfielder Lee Cattermole is out until 2010 after being struck down with a knee injury.
The 21-year-old was carried off during Saturday's 1-0 Barclays Premier League victory over Liverpool.
Lee Cattermole
Big blow: Sunderland's Lee Cattermole leaves the field on a stretcher on Saturday
Sunderland were braced for bad news and that has now arrived after it was confirmed Cattermole will be sidelined for 12 weeks, meaning he will not return until mid-January.
Yet, the news is also a partial relief to boss Steve Bruce, whose initial fear was the player's season could have been ended by the medial ligament damage he suffered during Saturday's 1-0 win over Liverpool.
'We think it will be at least 12 weeks for Catts,' he said. 'He's done his medial ligament. It's not good news, but it's the best we could have hoped.
'We were all praying he had not done his cruciate and damaged cartilage, which thankfully he hasn't - but he's still out for the best part of three months.
Cattermole
Impressive: Cattermole has caught the eye since his summer move
'You feel for the boy because he's had a great start here and has epitomised what we are about and why we brought him here. He's done everything we knew he would.'
Cattermole followed Bruce from Wigan to Sunderland in the summer in a £6million deal.
Kenwyne Jones, who was also taken off on Saturday, has a chance of recovering from his ankle injury in time for the trip to Birmingham.
'We don't think Kenwyne is too bad,' he added. ;He has swelling on his ankle and will be touch and go for the weekend, but he could be okay.'
