Sunderland boss Steve Bruce facing defensive dilemma

Oct 10 2009 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

STEVE Bruce will spend the weekend scouting for future Sunderland players, but the Black Cats manager admits his current ones will never be far from his mind after the international break threw up a potential defensive crisis for next week’s visit of Liverpool.

For the second month in succession, George McCartney has picked up an injury with Northern Ireland.

The 28-year-old was due to face the Czech Republic in Prague in Wednesday’s World Cup qualifier, only to be ruled out yesterday with a foot injury.

In September he strained his hamstring preparing for their game in Poland. Bruce will be anxiously awaiting further updates on the latest problem, which threatens to compound Kieran Richardson’s needless red card last week.

Richardson has been the Wearsiders’ left-back since McCartney injured his hamstring, but the Londoner was sent off at Old Trafford last week for kicking the ball away and will now be suspended for Saturday’s home game with the Merseysiders.

The good news is that having already qualified for the World Cup, Ghana have decided not to risk aggravating captain John Mensah’s calf problem by asking him to play in tomorrow’s match against Benin.

Centre-back Mensah is therefore in prime position to deputise against the Reds.

It only serves to underline why Fabio Capello’s surprising refusal to call up Darren Bent to the England squad is perhaps not such a bad thing. As someone who knows the feeling of not having the England caps he deserved, Bruce can see the benefits as well as the drawbacks of Bent’s exclusion.

“I would be delighted for the player (to be called up) because of the recognition, and there can’t be any higher recognition,” said Bruce, who somehow was never capped by his country.