Tainio hot to trot

Sunderland midfielder Teemu Tainio could return to the squad for tomorrow’s Barclays Premier League trip to Bolton.

The Finland international missed the 2-0 home defeat by Everton with a knee problem, but has been able to train this week.

George McCartney (calf) is also back in full training, but is he unlikely to figure this weekend, while goalkeeper Craig Gordon is due to undergo an exploratory operation on his knee tomorrow and, like defender Nyron Nosworthy (hamstring), will not play again this season.

Provisional squad: Fulop, Colgan, Bardsley, Ferdinand, Davenport, Collins, Ben Haim, McShane, Edwards, Richardson, Tainio, Reid, Whitehead, Leadbitter, Malbranque, Yorke, Cisse, Jones, Healy, Murphy.