McCartney back for Black Cats

Sunderland boss Mick McCarthy hopes to have Northern Ireland defender George McCartney available again for tomorrow’s Barclays Premiership trip to Blackburn.

McCartney missed Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham with a hip problem after returning from a long injury lay-off at West Ham, and he will be joined in the squad by Steve Caldwell, Stephen Wright and Dean Whitehead, who were all suspended at the weekend.

New signing Rory Delap could play for the reserves tonight after shaking off an Achilles problem, but Stephen Elliott (back), Andy Gray (Achilles) and Chris Brown (ankle) are all still out.

Provisional squad: Davis, Alnwick, Wright, Nosworthy, McCartney, Hoyte, Caldwell, Breen, D Collins, Bassila, Miller, Whitehead, Arca, Lawrence, Woods, Leadbitter, Welsh, Kyle, Stead, Le Tallec, D Murphy.