Cattermole Back In Training

Sunderland AFC were handed another injury boost by seeing captain Cattermole return back to training.

Cattermole, who was skipper before his latest back injury, will be looking to keep a clean bill of health in the last run of fixtures for his new club.

Cattermole has only played 18 times this season, mostly due to a few red cards but also a lot has to do with niggly injuries for the English terrier.

Bruce is over the moon to see not only Welbeck and Campbell return soon but also his enforcer in the centre.

Bruce said: ''We know it's a back injury and we were worried it would turn into a stress fracture.

'That was the biggest worry and that's why he had to have complete rest, which he has done.

'The remit was that we had to give him six to eight weeks off to make sure it didn't turn into a stress fracture, and that's what we have done.

'He was in and around jogging last week and we hope that's now okay with the rest he has had.

'What happened in the past was he got a serious knee injury and then unfortunately, picked up another knock, and then a hamstring related to his back.

'But this was a whack on his back and we were worried that there was bone bruising.

'We were advised by specialists that that could turn into a stress fracture if he kept on playing, so we took him away from it and protected him.'

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