No easy route back for Breen

Gary Breen returns to the Sunderland squad for tomorrow’s Barclays Premiership visit to Bolton after serving a one-match ban – but he will have to be content with a place on the substitute bench.

Caretaker manager Kevin Ball sticks with Steve Caldwell and Danny Collins at the heart of the defence but will almost certainly have to make a change with Julio Arca struggling to overcome a hamstring injury.

Dan Smith has been recalled from a loan spell at Huddersfield and stands by for his Premiership debut while defender Neill Collins is also added to the squad after returning from Sheffield United.

Provisional squad: Davis, Nosworthy, McCartney, Caldwell, D Collins, Lawrence, Delap, Whitehead, Leadbitter, Miller, Arca, Miller, Hoyte, Kyle, Elliott, Alnwick, Breen, Stead, N Collins, Woods, Murphy.