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Could Anderson still remain on Wearside?
RUSSELL Anderson is hoping he will still have a Sunderland future after he meets Roy Keane later today to discuss his successful loan spell at Plymouth Argyle.
Graham Kavanagh, Stanislav Varga, Andrew Cole and Greg Halford will all be told that their futures lie away from the Stadium of Light after reporting back to Wearside yesterday, but Anderson could yet be retained after impressing at Home Park.
The Scotland international had little chance to prove what he was capable of in a Sunderland shirt, as a serious ankle injury sidelined him for more than three months at the beginning of the season.
He has made just two appearances for the Black Cats, but a lengthy run in Plymouth's first team enabled him to rediscover the form that persuaded Keane to shell out £1m to sign him from Scottish Premier League side Aberdeen last summer.
With more than two years of his current Sunderland contract still to run, Anderson is hoping that his Black Cats career is not at an end despite Keane's pledge to move on a number of players this summer.
"I'm going back to Sunderland this week and we'll just wait and see what happens," said the 29-year-old. "I've really got no idea at all, but I'm sure it will become clearer over the course of the summer.
"I'll have to speak to Sunderland and basically see what they are saying, but I'd obviously love to stay if it was possible."
Kavanagh, Varga, Cole and Halford are likely to be resigned to their fate having ended loan spells of their own in the Championship.
Varga and Cole, both of whom have been at Burnley, are out of contract this summer, and neither will be offered a new deal at the Stadium of Light.
Kavanagh has one year of his current deal remaining, and the Black Cats will consider paying him off in order to hasten his departure.
Halford signed a four-year contract when he moved from Reading last summer, so he is in a slightly more awkward position following a loan spell at Charlton.
The full-back has returned to Wearside, as his loan spell did not translate into a permanent transfer on its completion. However, with Charlton interested in signing him on a permanent basis and a number of other Championship clubs also ready to make a move, Sunderland should come to an arrangement that sees the 23-year-old leaving.
The glut of departures will free some space for Keane to improve a squad that remains desperately short of cover in a number of key areas.
The Black Cats boss has already confirmed that strengthening his side's defence will be a key priority, and up to four new defenders will arrive on Wearside this summer.
Jonny Evans could yet be one of them, but even if the Manchester United loanee does not make a permanent switch, Keane will target two new centre-halves and a full-back on either flank.
"I think the last few weeks have told us a few things about the depth of the squad, especially when it comes to the defence," admitted skipper Dean Whitehead. "We've had one or two injuries, and all of a sudden people have had to switch around and play in different positions.
"We lost Phil (Bardsley), which meant Nyron (Nosworthy) had to play at right-back (at Bolton), and that meant one or two other people had to shift positions as well. It's not an excuse for last weekend's result - that's football and we should have a good enough squad to deal with it - but I guess it isn't really ideal."
Sunderland's new home kit will be launched at the Stadium of Light at 6pm this evening. Dean Whitehead, Andy Reid, Kenwyne Jones, Nyron Nosworthy and Carlos Edwards will all be in attendance.
2:03am Wednesday 7th May 2008
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