SUNDERLAND are confident of having Lee Cattermole and Anthony Reveillere available for Saturday’s crucial home game with West Brom, but Jermain Defoe remains a major doubt as he continues to struggle with a calf problem.

Cattermole has missed the last ten games through a combination of knee and groin injuries, but is scheduled to take part in a full block of training sessions this week as he prepares to return to the first team.

His comeback could hardly be timelier given Sunderland’s desperate need for a positive performance against the Baggies, and the extent of Liam Bridcutt’s struggles as he has attempted to deputise for the defensive midfielder in recent matches.

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Bridcutt was one of Sunderland’s most ineffective players in Sunday’s FA Cup defeat at Bradford City, a game in which Cattermole’s combative qualities and ebullient leadership were badly missed.

The 26-year-old has not played since December, so a certain degree of rustiness is inevitable, but it would still be a major surprise if he was not to be in Saturday’s starting line-up provided he does not show any obvious ill-effects from his return to training.

The same is true of Reveillere, who was equally as badly missed at Valley Parade as Billy Jones struggled badly in the right-back berth.

Reveillere injured his hamstring in the Premier League defeat to QPR, but is due to return to training this morning in an attempt to prove his fitness for the weekend.

The French full-back has been one of Sunderland’s most reliable players since joining as a free agent in the autumn, and his return would enable Gus Poyet to restore Santiago Vergini to a centre-half berth alongside John O’Shea.

Whether the Sunderland head coach is able to call on Defoe in three days time remains to be seen, as the striker’s ongoing calf problem continues to trouble him.

The state of the Valley Parade pitch was a factor in Poyet’s decision to leave Defoe on Wearside at the weekend, but given his importance to Sunderland’s prospects in the remaining three months of the season, he will not be risked against West Brom if there are any concerns over his rehabilitation.

“Jermain had a problem with his calf and didn’t train properly last Saturday,” said Poyet. “He’s going to be off for three or four days.

“If people thought we were going to take him to Bradford to play injured, then they were wrong. I’m still not yet sure if he’ll be okay for the next game.”

Meanwhile, long-term Sunderland transfer target Diego De Girolamo is set to leave Sheffield United this summer.

The 19-year-old attacking midfielder has turned down the offer of a new contract at Bramall Lane, and having sent a senior scouting team to watch him on a number of occasions this season, Sunderland’s recruitment team will attempt to negotiate a compensation agreement with their counterparts at Sheffield United.

“His time here will come to an end when his contract ends,” said Blades boss Nigel Clough. “He’s rejected his contract offer and the chance to stay here. We felt we had offered him a good deal, but I think he feels he will get better opportunities elsewhere.”