We can do it.................... MARTIN OâNeill has no doubts that Sunderland have the strength and resilience to cope with the losses of Stephane Sessegnon and Lee Cattermole in the weeks ahead. The Black Cats face a busy schedule of games â including the enticing FA Cup quarter-final tie at Everton next Saturday â without the services of skipper Cattermole, who starts a four-game ban today, and top scorer Sessegnon, who is banned for three games. But OâNeill insists that his squad can cope with the absentees and points out that they have done so once, spectacularly, already under his leadership. âNo matter how bad the injury or suspension situation gets between now and the end of the season, I cannot envisage it being as bad as it was on New Yearâs Day,â OâNeill told the Echo. âI think we had something like nine players who would have been in the first-team squad unavailable to us for that game, for the visit of the league leaders, Manchester City. âI donât imagine people would have given much for our chances in that match but we produced a tremendous performance and nicked it right at the end for one of the results of the season. âOf course, Stephane and Lee will be an enormous loss for us â Stephane bring us the sort of creativity that only he can, while Lee is emerging more and more as undoubtedly the leader of this group of players. âBut we have other players here who are also looking to prove and establish themselves and I would say that arguably the thing I have been most pleased with, the thing Iâve been proudest of since I got here, has been the way that that players have come into the side have performed. âWe have had midfielders playing full-back, weâve had players performing less-favoured roles, but everyoneâs stepped up to the challenge. No one has shirked it, no one has used injuries as an excuse and weâve prospered because of that. âI know that the squad wonât be worrying so much about losing a couple of key players, as theyâll be about keeping up the high standards weâve set and keeping that bit of momentum going.â  Fraizer Campbell is likely to become a key figure in Sessegnonâs absence while the loss of Cattermole will throw the spotlight more on the likes of Craig Gardner, David Vaughan, David Meyler and Jack Colback, while if Kieran Richardson is out for any length of time, January arrival Wayne Bridge might get a run in the side. âI said when I first got here that we would need a squad the size that we had, maybe a little bit bigger, and that every one of them would have a part to play,â OâNeill pointed out. âThat might have seemed as though it would not be the case when we were playing well, winning games and few changes had to be made. âBut it has been proven right as the weeks have gone on and injuries and suspensions have kicked in. âIt shows it was the right decision to bring one or two bodies in during the January transfer window and although weâve had setbacks after the derby game, Iâm confident that we still have the players at our disposal who can do the club justice.â
The suspensions we can cope with I think it just leaves us short on replacements from the bench, just hope any injuries aren't long term.
All good stuff Comm. I'd imagine he'll put both Bendy & Campbell up front today & I can see young Fraizer grabbing the chance with both hands.
