John Mensah insists: I have joined Black Cats

Aug 21 2009 by Steve Brown, The Journal

SUNDERLAND target John Mensah last night claimed to have signed for the Black Cats but while club officials continued to await confirmation, Craig Gordon has revealed he is playing a waiting game of his own.

Mensah yesterday told his personal website first that he had passed a medical, then that he had signed an agreement to join the Stadium of Light outfit from French club Lyon on what is understood to be a season-long loan.

“I have finished with the medical examination and by the grace of God it was successful,” he said at first, later adding: “Yes, it is true after training this morning I was given a document to sign indicating I am going to be on loan to Sunderland.

“Now I am on my way to Paris where I am going to meet a Sunderland team doctor to present my medical report to him. All documents will be sent to FIFA for approval. (Mensah’s agent) Fabian Piveteau has revealed to me that Steve Bruce has confirmed to him that I will get my UK visa.”

The Black Cats will have an option to buy the Ghanaian centre-back for £7m next summer but Mensah seems unlikely to go straight into Steve Bruce’s starting XI for tomorrow’s home game against Blackburn Rovers, when Gordon will be on the bench. The Scottish keeper had knee surgery in May and only resumed training just before the start of the new Premier League season.

Though he has been an unused substitute in Sunderland’s opening two games of the new campaign, Gordon admits he is still re-acquainting himself with, and recovering from, the demands of modern-day training.

“I’m getting there on the injury front,” he said. “The knee feels fine, but when I’m getting back into training my body’s doing a lot of work it’s not used to, it’s been over three months since I trained.

“It’s taking a little bit of time to get used to those rigours and getting used to putting the muscles through the rigours of what they need to do every day.”