Keane playing it safe with Jones

Sunderland boss Roy Keane has promised he will take no silly risks with star striker Kenwyne Jones after nursing him back to health.

The 24-year-old Trinidad and Tobago international made his first appearance of the season as a substitute in Saturday’s 2-1 derby victory over Newcastle following his recovery from a knee ligament injury.

He will hope for further action at Stoke tonight, although Keane insists he has no need to rush him back with summer signings Djibril Cisse and El-Hadji Diouf having significantly increased competition for places.

The Irishman freely admits he put too much responsibility on the shoulders of his £6million signing last season, but this time around, he is confident he has men to share the load.

Asked if that has lessened the need to press Jones back into service, he said: “Of course, and that goes for a lot of other players.

“When you consider what I did to Kieran Richardson last year – Kieran was out for two or three months, Dean Whitehead was out for three months and within a couple of weeks’ training, they were back in the first team – and did remarkably well.

“It backfired with Kieran, but not with Dean, but it most certainly makes it easier for me.

“Nyron [Nosworthy] coming back from a hamstring injury, he has not been able to get back in – he has not even been able to get on the bench.

“With Kenwyne, there is no need for us to take any silly risks.”

Jones, of course, was last season’s leading scorer with Keane valuing him at closer to £40million after seeing him make a major impact in the Barclays Premier League.

He was injured in a collision with England keeper David James in a friendly in June, and it was initially feared he could be sidelined for much of the new campaign.

However, his early return simply added to the joy of Saturday’s win.

Keane said: “You saw on Saturday not just the boost he gave me, but the boost he gave the supporters and his team-mates.

“It was nice to give him half an hour. The game was set up nicely. It was a quite a tight game, and I am pretty sure if you were playing for Newcastle’s back four and you saw Kenwyne coming on, you would think, ’It is going to be a tough last half an hour’.

“That’s what he gives us. We have got to be careful with him, though. We don’t just want to be throwing him in, particularly starting games where the pace is maybe a touch quicker than towards the last half an hour.

“But again, he gives me more options and more competition for the strikers. Kenwyne is going to be a big player for us.”

Keane’s only injury worry is keeper Craig Gordon, who missed the Newcastle game with a twisted ankle, although the manager is happy to use deputy Marton Fulop once again if he needs to.