Steve Bruce concerned over Mensah fitness

Dec 5 2009 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

STEVE Bruce has admitted to having “huge concern” over the long-term fitness of John Mensah after the Ghanaian suffered another injury setback.

The Sunderland boss was hoping to hand the on-loan Lyon defender a recall for tomorrow’s game at Fulham but the man nicknamed “the Rock of Gibraltar” pulled a calf during intensive training and now faces three weeks on the sidelines.

It is the latest injury scare for a player who has managed just four appearances since arriving in the summer and Bruce now fears for his hopes of playing in the World Cup in the summer. The Black Cats’ medical staff have traced the problems back to an unrelated back complaint, which is causing the powerfully-built defender to suffer other injuries.

And, although Bruce wouldn’t be drawn on whether it would affect Sunderland’s decision on whether to sign him at the end of the campaign, it is an unlikely scenario unless he can manage consecutive games between now and May.

Bruce will be disappointed to lose the defender, who has shown his undoubted class on the rare occasions that he has been able to pull on a red-and-white shirt. “It is a big concern to us, a huge concern,” he admitted. “We think it is connected to his back and it looks like it will be at least another three weeks. It is what happened to him at Lyon – he got a big money move there but couldn’t get himself fit. It is a concern, especially with the World Cup for him.

“He is devastated. He just wants to come here and play but unfortunately his record suggests that he does pick up niggling injuries.”

The injury offers a chance to Anton Ferdinand, who Bruce spoke to this week after the defender revealed his unhappiness at losing his place in the starting line-up. Ferdinand was linked with a return to West Ham this week but the Sunderland boss said he still has a future at the Stadium of Light.

“He’s not happy, that’s for sure, but I wouldn’t expect him to be,” he said. “He’s responded well, he’s trained all week and I think he thinks he’s got a chance of being involved on Sunday. I had a conversation with Anton on Tuesday and of course he is not happy. But Anton has got a future here, that is for sure.

“Just because I have left him out for a couple of games does not mean he is totally bombed or whatever. We are still to find a settled back four.” Bruce has praised Martyn Waghorn for his impact while on loan at Leicester City. The Sunderland boss said he will recall the striker if either Darren Bent or Kenwyne Jones are injured, but thinks his education at the Walkers Stadium is going well.

Meanwhile, Charlton and Brentford have resolved their dispute over sell-on fees relating to the transfer of Michael Turner from Hull to Sunderland this summer.

The defender began his career with the Addicks before moving on to the Bees in 2004 and Hull two years later.

The 26-year-old then moved to Sunderland in August. Charlton and Brentford had been in disagreement about the percentage of the sell-on clause each were due to receive but have now come to an agreement, the terms of which have been kept confidential.