Sunderland boss Steve Bruce cut a frustrated figure as his side were held to their sixth draw in their first eight EPL games, by ten-man Blackburn on Monday night.

And he was left bemoaning his side’s reliance on the goalscoring prowess of England striker Darren Bent, as last season’s, and this season’s, top scorer missed two good chances to clinch the Black Cats second league win.

There was better news on the injury front for the Wearsiders’ supremo, however, as first-choice goalkeeper Craig Gordon made a successful comeback from injury in Sunderland’s reserves.

 

Sunderland were unable to break down Blackburn despite having a man advantage for the whole second half. And after Bent missed gilt-edged opportunities in each half, Bruce told BBC local radio:

“We can’t keep relying on Benty. We have to chip in from other areas,” before adding: “Bent has had two or three chances were you’d expect a goal. On another night we win the game.”

Scotland international custodian Gordon kept a clean sheet in Sunderland reserves’ 1-0 win at Everton this week. The 27-year-old has been missing from the Black Cats’ starting line-up since breaking his arm in an awkward fall in July pre-season training.

He is expected to be in contention to face Aston Villa at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

However, wing-back Kieran Richardson is rated as “probably 50-50” for the clash by Bruce after suffering a recurrence of the hamstring injury which has kept him out of the side for a month.