Sunderland boss Steve Bruce remains hopeful that striker Kenwyne Jones can recover from a dead leg to return at Fulham on Sunday.

The Trinidad and Tobago international picked up the injury just minutes into Tuesday night's 3-0 reserve team victory over Wigan on his comeback from a three-match ban.

However, central defender John Mensah is out with a recurrence of a calf problem which is causing some concern.

Bruce said: "John Mensah hurt his calf in training and I can't see him being fit.

"It's a concern, it's a huge concern."

Midfielder Lee Cattermole could resume during the Christmas programme after returning to training following a medial ligament injury but the game will come too soon for him while keeper Craig Gordon will be sidelined for months yet by a broken arm.

Sunderland (from): Fulop, Carson, Bardsley, McCartney, Da Silva, Turner, Nosworthy, Ferdinand, Richardson, Cana, Reid, Malbranque, Henderson, Zenden, Campbell, Jones, Bent, Healy, Murphy, Meyler, Reed.