Sbragia tips Edwards to shine

Sunderland boss Ricky Sbragia is hoping winger Carlos Edwards can help provide the ammunition to ease the club away from the fight against relegation.

The Black Cats slipped to within three points of the drop zone at the weekend after their 1-0 defeat at Manchester City and results elsewhere.

However, the form of Trinidad and Tobago midfielder Edwards at Eastlands on his return to the starting line-up was a plus, and Sbragia is keeping his fingers crossed that he can help misfiring strikers Kenwyne Jones and Djibril Cisse to end their drought.

Sbragia told the Sunderland Echo: “Carlos is the one player we have got who can get behind teams, and that’s a valuable quality to have.

“We have got Andy Reid who can put a great ball in from the wing, Steed Malbranque who can thread a lovely pass or show great vision, but Carlos is the one who has the pace to get in behind teams to put a cross over, and that’s something we have lacked generally.”