Teemu Tainio is over his fitness problems

Jun 16 2010 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

SUNDERLAND forgotten man Teemu Tainio is over his long-term injury worries and is prepared to return to the Stadium of Light if no interest in him materialises over the summer.

Tainio is one of a clutch of Black Cats fringe men that Steve Bruce is looking to shift from the club’s wage bill during the close-season.

The Finland midfielder spent last term on loan at Birmingham but was hampered by a long-term knee injury and Alex McLeish will not be following up his interest in him.

Tainio’s agent Anders Wallsten admits the player’s Wearside future is uncertain – but insists that interested clubs should not be concerned about his fitness.

The 30-year-old’s talent has never been in doubt and he never let Sunderland down in any of his 21 appearances for the club, after signing from Spurs as part of the deal that also saw the Black Cats land Pascal Chimbonda and Steed Malbranque.

But Bruce was clearly concerned about the player’s horrendous injury record and let him leave for Birmingham just before the start of the season.

There have been concerns that those worries would hamper his chances of finding a new club but Wallsten says his client is 100% fit ahead of a new season.

“Teemu is over his injuries – he is fit and will be available to play next season,” his agent told The Journal. “If nothing happens over the summer he will happily go back to Sunderland to play next season. As it stands nothing has happened with him but we can not take it for granted that he will go back.

“He is on holiday at the moment

but he will go back if that is what Sunderland want him to do.”

The Black Cats have been busier than most in the transfer market so far this season and that is a deliberate ploy by Bruce and chairman Niall Quinn, who want to have finalised their squad before they travel to Portugal for pre-season.

Sunderland have already signed Paraguay international midfielder Cristian Riveros, who starred in his country’s 1-1 draw with World Cup champions Italy, while deals for Simon Mignolet and Marcos Angeleri are also as good as done.

Sunderland ideally want three more, including a defender, a left-back and a striker. Nigeria left-back Taye Taiwo was linked yesterday, while West Ham defender Matthew Upson is on Bruce’s wishlist.

“In an ideal world, any signing we are going to make should be in before we go to Portugal,” Quinn said.

“Of course, it’s rarely as easy as that and we’ll have scope to bring in players further on down the line if that turns out to be what happens.

“But we’re in a position now where we pretty much know exactly who we want and we can go out to try and get them in early.

“Last season, we were trying to do transfer business right up to the end of August but I’m not going to do that again this year.”

Meanwhile, Huddersfield Town have played down reports linking them with Sunderland’s Roy O’Donovan.

The striker will be a free agent when his contract expires in July and has plenty of interest at League One and League Two level, but the Terriers insist they are not one of the clubs monitoring him.

Huddersfield chief executive Nigel Clibbens said: “We’ve had no contact either with the player or his club.”

Carlisle United have offered him a contract while Hartlepool are also keen on the former Republic of Ireland striker.