SCOTTISH international Don Hutchison found himself in strict isolation from his team-mates last night as he tried to ditch a stomach bug in a bid to play in this afternoon's crucial game at Everton.

In more normal circumstances the Tynesider would have been ruled out of the match after being sent home from training on Thursday suffering from severe sickness, but manager Peter Reid has decided to give his influential midfielder as long as possible to recover, taking the extra precaution of keeping him away from the rest of his team-mates in case he passed on the virus.

Reid explained: "Don Hutchison had a very bad night with sickness.

"But he is desperate to play and he will travel by himself to the team hotel and will be kept in isolation from the rest of the players."

Hutchison, voted Sunderland's Player of the Season by the Supporters' Association, will be given every opportunity to play against his old club and try to help Sunderland's last-ditch bid to qualify for Europe.

Sunderland, beaten 5-0 at Goodison Park last season, must finish with a victory and hope that already relegated Manchester City beat Chelsea to leap-frog over the Londoners into sixth place and claim a UEFA Cup spot next season.

Reid will not be worrying too much about what is happening at Maine Road as his former club, despite having already been relegated, try to beat the Londoners.

Reid said: "It is important we win our game - that's all we can do.

"We must look to ourselves to do our job and that's what we will be trying to do.

"But it is a great game for the likes of Don Hutchison, Gavin McCann and myself, going back to our old club.

"We have had a good season and to have secured a top-ten Premiership position two years in succession is fantastic.

"But our season will be tinged with disappointment if we don't get into Europe after coming so close.

"It was in our hands, but in the games we wanted to do it we didn't, for whatever reason.

"But that's football and while we might feel disappointed we have just to try to improve in future.

"If you go out and don't get the results there is not much you can do about it."

Sunderland finished in seventh place last season with 57 points and Reid is looking to improve on that total.

"Our aim is to beat that and if we do by winning at Everton then it is in the lap of the gods.

"But it is fair to say we have been in great positions going into the last couple of months but we haven't seen it through.

"We will be gutted if we don't get into Europe."

Sunderland qualified once before, when their FA Cup final victory over Leeds United in 1973 earned them a place in the European Cup Winners Cup the following season. They beat Vasas Budapest but went down at the next hurdle to Sporting Lisbon.

Reid knows how much getting into Europe means to Sunderland fans, and while it means extra pressure for himself, he has no objections to such demanding aspirations.

He said: "This is a big club and pressure like that goes with the territory.

"I would rather be manager of this club, with big expectations. The club hasn't been into Europe since 1973, the fans expect it and that's what we must try to give them."

Sunderland are ready for their last-ditch bid to turn the key into Europe.

Reid said: "The players are buoyant and up-beat. The week's training has gone really well and everyone is buzzing.

"If we can get a result against Everton and it goes well for us at Maine Road it would be party time at Goodison Park.

"But Everton will be wanting to send their supporters home happy and we know it is going to be a very difficult game for us."

Argentinian Julio Arca returns after missing the 3-2 home win over Charlton, which rekindled European hopes, and if Hutchison is fit will challenge Republic of Ireland winger Kevin Kilbane for his on the wing.

Everton's former Newcastle defender Steve Watson admits the players as well as their fans feel hurt at having to sit and watch rivals Liverpool march to treble glory.

Watson said: ''Everton lost the last game of last season and the campaign left everyone with a bitter taste. We don't want that to happen again."