HIGHLY-RATED Sunderland midfielder Gavin McCann is walking a disciplinary tightrope - and one mistake could rule him out of a head-to-head against the player he has been likened to, Manchester United star Roy Keane.

McCann, 23 today, has been outstanding for the Wearsiders since his return last month after recovering from a serious knee injury.

But he has picked up four cautions in his ten games back, and another yellow card in Saturday's game at West Ham would mean an automatic one-match ban, starting 14 days later, on the day reserved four the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Sunderland have to beat Crystal Palace in a tough third round replay a week tonight to earn the right to a home tie against Ipswich Town, but if they lose they will have no game on January 27 and their next match is against Manchester United at the Stadium of Light four days later.

McCann made his comeback as a substitute in the Worthington Cup victory over Manchester United and his gritty displays have been a feature of Sunderland's recent Premiership run, which has brought 16 points from seven games, and his brilliant equaliser at Arsenal was voted third in the BBC Match of the Day Goal of the Month competition.

One of McCann's greatest admirers is goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen, who believes that the team's hard-grafting midfield has made his job easier.

The Danish giant said: "Gavin is a very good player who is comfortable on the ball. He has got some bite in midfield and he wins a lot of tackles.

"Some people have compared him to Roy Keane, which, of course, is a very tough act to follow, but he is that type of player.

"He has got the footballing side and the battling side as well and he is a great asset to the team.

Since he came back he has shown that he is a great player and he also contributes with goals, which is ideal."

McCann, who cost a bargain £500,00 from Everton in November, 1998, damaged knee ligaments at Coventry on February 12 last year, an injury which required surgery.

But he made a complete recovery, returning to the first team after two outings with the reserves, and manager Peter Reid regards him as an essential part of his midfield