Keeper faces fight to win back place

Dec 20 2008 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

CRAIG Gordon has been warned he faces a battle to win back his first team place when he returns from injury in the New Year.

The Scotland goalkeeper returns to training next week after a ligament problem but remains at least a month away from returning to action, with caretaker boss Ricky Sbragia insisting he won’t risk aggravating Gordon’s injury again by rushing him back into action.

Gordon has made just one appearance since the middle of October, playing in Sunderland’s ill-fated reverse against Bolton despite being far from fully fit and struggling dreadfully.

In his prolonged absence Márton Fülöp has deputised capably, and with the Hungarian growing in confidence as the weeks pass, the £9m keeper can expect a spell sitting on the bench when he makes his return in early 2009.

“Craig Gordon is back on Monday, I think now he’ll be back into light training and in three or four weeks he should be back into full training,” Sbragia confirmed. “It’s a ligament problem which has re-occurred and we’ve had to give him two to three weeks of complete rest. He’s come back a week earlier than planned and he seems fine.

“He’s in contact with us and seems happy to come in. In hindsight he has probably come back too soon from the injury but at that time we thought he was probably fit to play the game. We don’t want that to happen again and I think he’ll be back well into the New Year, I would have thought.”

Sbragia wants the battle for keeper supremacy to be mirrored all over the pitch, and hints that Dean Whitehead may also struggle to get back in after Teemu Tainio’s fine showing against West Brom. “Yes, there’s no guarantee that Craig will get straight back in anyway, it depends on how Márton does. So there’s a bit more competition in the team, especially in goal. There’s competition all through the club, with Teemu and Deano, who had been injured and we need that throughout the club.

“I won’t do Craig any favours just because I’m a fellow Scot – although I’ll make sure he’s ready for the Scotland versus Holland game! In all seriousness, it’s about when he’s feeling fit and ready to play, he and Raymond van der Gouw will have a say in that and (physio) Pete Friar will have an input too.

“I think I’ll still be at the club by then, so I’ll have a say as well.”