Bardsley banned as Meyler moves closer to Sunderland return

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce will again be without full-back Phil Bardsley for Monday night’s Barclays Premier League trip to Norwich.

Bardsley will sit out the second of four games through suspension after being charged on video evidence with a second sending-off offence for the season during the 2-1 home defeat by Chelsea.

Bruce otherwise has no fresh concerns with midfielder David Meyler having played 45 minutes for the reserves in midweek, although he is not yet ready to return to senior action after a second serious knee problem, while Craig Gordon and Fraizer Campbell (also knee) continue to work their way back to fitness.

Provisional squad: Mignolet, Westwood, Brown, O’Shea, Richardson, Turner, Bramble, Laing, Cattermole, Gardner, Vaughan, Larsson, Colback, Elmohamady, Bendtner, Sessegnon, Wickham, Ji, McClean, Cook.