Oh No! More Injury News!

Steve Bruce is well aware that he cannot afford to see his squad ruined by injuries again, especially after losing so many important players during a great run of form last season ended up with his team just scraping in the top ten.

So far in the opening game of our campaign against York City, we lost John O`Shea with a slight hamstring strain, and now it has been released by the club that both Asamoah Gyan and new goalkeeper Keiren Westwood will not take part in any more games over in Germany as a precaution.

Steve Bruce has decided it is not worth the risk of losing these players for long term or be tired half way through the season so he will improve their general fitness rather than playing them against Hannover 96 or Borussia Monchengladbach.

Steve Bruce told the Sunderland Echo: "We`re just working on Asa`s general fitness levels at the moment. He did the work-out before the game yesterday.

"He was still playing in the middle of June with Ghana and was obviously training up until then too.

"We`ve just given him a bit of an extra break and now we`re seeing when he`ll be ready. But I would be surprised if I play him on tour.

"We need 10 days of fitness with him ready for the game next week which we are hoping to organise.

"Keiren has had this ongoing shoulder injury. We hope we can get the go-ahead to play him in that game too but he`s another who I can`t see playing on tour."

Bruce is hoping that Wes Brown and John O`Shea will shake off their little niggles and be back for their final German pre season encounter.

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