Back to four on the bench

Last updated : 28 November 2003 By Tony Scholes

Luke Chadwick - expected to replace injured captain Graham Branch
Three players who were in the squad on Tuesday are missing with Delroy Facey having returned to Bolton after sulking off early from the reserve game, Arthur Gnohere is suspended following his red card at Derby and skipper Graham Branch is ruled out with a calf injury.

We only have eighteen full time professionals at the club now and that includes youngsters Matt O’Neill and Joel Pilkington as well as loan player Luke Chadwick and with Alan Moore recovering from an operation and at least another month away it leaves us with just fifteen players to choose from.

It does make Stan’s team selections a little easier in the fact that there are rarely too many players to leave out and it should be the same tomorrow when Mark McGregor is expected to come in for Arthur and this will be his first start of the season after he too had surgery on a knee.

Luke Chadwick played a full ninety minutes in the reserves on Wednesday on top of his fifty minute run in the first team the night before. He will surely be the replacement for captain Branch on the left hand side.

We are almost certain to line up:

Brian Jensen, Dean West, David May, Mark McGregor, Mo Camara, Glen Little, Richard Chaplow, Tony Grant, Luke Chadwick, Robbie Blake, Ian Moore. Subs: Lee Roche, Paul Weller, Joel Pilkington, Matt O’Neill.

Sunderland have received a boost with the news that big striker Kevin Kyle is fit to return to the side after recovering from a hip injury. It won’t be the first time Kyle has played against the Clarets, he was in the Huddersfield side that we beat 1-0 at the McAlpine on the day that Nik the Greek made his debut.

Tommy Smith could make a home debut and apart from scoring that vital first goal for Watford in the FA Cup quarter-final (he also scored the goal that knocked out Sunderland a round earlier) he was also in the Watford side that scored seven against us last April. And Alan Quinn, who is also in the squad tomorrow, was in the Sheffield Wednesday side that scored seven against us last April.

Sunderland do have players missing though. John Oster is out suspended whilst Gary Breen is out with a knee injury. On the longer term injury list are Matt Piper, Thomas Butler and Jason McAteer. McAteer, the former Blackburn player, was in the reserves this week but will not be considered for first team action just yet.

Manager Mick McCarthy has included extra shooting practice this week with the Mackems having scored just four goals in the last eight games. McCarthy has promised goals.

The likely Sunderland team is: Mart Poom, Stephen Wright, Joachim Bjorklund, George McCartney, Julio Arca, Alan Quinn, Jeff Whitley, Colin Healy, Stewart Dowling, Michael Proctor, Marcus Stewart. Subs from:  Michael Ingham, Ben Clark, Darren Williams, Phil Babb, Paul Thirlwell, Grant Leadbitter, Kevin Kyle, Tommy Smith.