Sunderland handed Gordon boost

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce will go into this week’s Carling Cup match against West Ham with the return of his first choice goalkeeper Craig Gordon. The Scottish number one has returned to training and is in line to make his first start of the season, as Sunderland enter the Carling Cup at the third round stage.

Bruce confirmed the return of his keeper saying "If he is physically fit, the West Ham match in the Carling Cup next week is the game I will think about playing him in."

Gordon hasn’t played since breaking his arm in pre-season. It was the keeper’s second arm break of the year, after missing three months of last season with the same injury.

The silver lining from Gordon’s forced absence from the first team, was the emergence of Belgian Under 21 stopper Simon Mignolet. The young keeper made the step up into the first team and showed his massive potential with a series of impressive displays. It would seem likely that the 22 year old will return to the bench with Gordon returning but Sunderland now know they have a quality keeper in reserve.

With the big boys focusing on European competitions and league titles, a team like Sunderland have a chance of reaching the latter stages of the Carling Cup. With Craig Gordon back in the side and West Ham struggling to get their season started, Sunderland will go into the tie as firm favourites and should progress.