Good to have Lee back, says George

Dec 17 2009 by Steve Brown, The Journal

LEE CATTERMOLE looks set to start Sunderland’s Premier League game at Manchester City on Saturday but, insisting the Black Cats are far from a one-man team, George McCartney believes there is more to the club’s current run of poor form than the midfielder’s recent absence.

The 21-year-old returned to action for the final 20 minutes of Tuesday’s 2-0 home defeat by Aston Villa after missing eight games – only one of which Sunderland won – following knee surgery.

With Lorik Cana suspended for the weekend trip to Eastlands following his sending-off on Tuesday, Cattermole was withdrawn from last night’s reserve game against Hartlepool United, raising the possibility of his involvement from the start on Saturday.

McCartney admits the Stockton-born star is as big an influence in the team as he has been a miss out of it, but says that does not account for Sunderland’s recent slide in results.

“I don’t think one man ever makes a team, so from that view I don’t think that Lee’s absence has been a big factor in our bad run,” McCartney said.

“He’s a big influence, he cuts play up, he intercepts a lot of passes and gets himself around the pitch more than a normal player would, but whoever has come in has been more than capable of filling in and doing a job.

“Lee has been a big miss but those who have come in have done a decent job. It’s like anything, you have a good run and eventually you hit a bad spell. We are going through that bad spell at the minute, it’s not down to one man.”

Nonetheless, McCartney added: “Lee only trained with us on Monday. He has done a lot of work with the physios.

“He has looked decent and with a good 20 minutes under his belt against Villa I’m sure he will be in the manager’s thoughts for the City game.

“You have problems with injuries and suspensions throughout. You get an important player back and then someone else breaks down. Lee has come back quicker than he should have done and Lorik has got sent off and will serve a ban.

“That’s Lorik’s game and if that is taken out of his game then it’s difficult to say how important he would be to the team.”