Source: Northern_Echo
More to come from Mignolet
WHEN Simon Mignolet joined Sunderland last summer, he never imagined making 17 appearances in his first Premier League season, but the young goalkeeper insists there is still a lot more to come. Craig Gordon suffered a broken arm in pre-season, so the 22-year-old was thrust into Steve Bruce's starting XI against Birmingham on the opening day. Eight months later, the Black Cats make the return trip to St Andrews this Saturday with Mignolet between the posts. The Belgium international did return to the bench for a spell when Gordon recovered, but a knee injury to the Scotsman has seen the former Sint- Truiden stopper returning. The Black Cats might have suffered a slump in form but Mignolet has been a huge positive, with several eye-catching performances, and claims he will only get better with experience. I never imagined I would have played this many games, he said. At the beginning of the season I came to the club to learn a lot and I think I've done that by playing games and gaining experience. I'm very happy with that and hopefully I can continue that way and play a couple of more games. I think when you're a young goalkeeper the only way you can learn is by playing games and gaining that experience and confidence as well, which is important as a young guy. As a young goalkeeper I'm happy with how things have gone but it doesn't stop here, it's only one step and there's still a lot more to come from me in the years ahead. With question marks over the severity of Gordon's knee injury, Mignolet looks set to end the season as Sunderland's first choice. The only thing I can do at the moment is try and play as good as I can and show the gaffer and the coaches what I'm capable of in training and in games, Mignolet said. In the end it's the gaffer that makes the decisions, it's not up to me, that's not my task, the only thing I can do is try and play as good as I can. Meanwhile, the Wearsiders have suffered yet more injury woe after it was revealed John Mensah will be out for at least three weeks with a groin tear. The 28-year-old was forced off after ten minutes of last weekend's defeat to West Bromich Albion with scans revealing the Ghanaian has suffered a grade two abductor tear rated in the middle of the severity scale. His absence means the Black Cats have serious defensive problems ahead of the trip to St Andrews with Anton Ferdinand and Titus Bramble also out.