Duo return for Sunderland

Kieran Richardson and Phil Bardsley return to the Sunderland squad for tomorrow night’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa.

The pair missed Saturday’s disappointing 1-1 home draw with lowly Portsmouth through suspension, but are both available again as the Black Cats look for just their second league win in eight attempts.

Striker Kenwyne Jones is expected to shake off a shoulder problem picked up at the weekend, while midfielder Lee Cattermole is back in training after a medial ligament injury and could play for the reserves at Hartlepool on Wednesday.

John Mensah (calf) has also returned to training, but Bolo Zenden (hamstring), Anton Ferdinand (ankle) and Craig Gordon (broken arm) remain on the sidelines.

Provisional squad: Fulop, Carson, Bardsley, Richardson, McCartney, Da Silva, Turner, Nosworthy, Cana, Reid, Malbranque, Henderson, Campbell, Jones, Bent, Healy, Murphy, Meyler, Reed, Noble.