Steve Bruce hopeful Lee Cattermole will make a swift return to Sunderland team

By Alan Dawson

Sunderland's battling midfielder Lee Cattermole could be back in action a month earlier than expected, according to Black Cats boss Steve Bruce.

The 21-year-old Englishman has been sidelined since October 17, when he suffered medial ligament damage during the Liverpool triumph.

Bruce told the official website of the Premier League: "Catts has been out for three weeks already, but after the Spurs game this weekend, there is another fortnight before we play Arsenal and all of a sudden, he has been out for getting on towards five or six weeks.

"And Cattermole being Cattermole, I would think he will be back more quickly than the doctors have predicted.

"The kind of person he is, I have just got this gut feeling that he might be out for eight weeks rather than the 12 weeks that was said at the start."

Bruce added: "Of course, ultimately I will have to be governed by what the medical people say, but knowing Lee's mentality, he will be keen to get back as quickly as possible."