Lee Cattermole cleared of ligament damage

Sunderland captain Lee Cattermole could return for the visit of Fulham this weekend after scans revealed that he has not suffered ligament damage.

The tough-tackling midfielder missed the trip to Everton last Saturday after suffering a knee injury in training.

Initial fears were that he could be missing for several weeks, but further tests conducted on Tuesday have given him a "50/50" chance of recovering in time to welcome the Cottagers to the Stadium of Light.

Cattermole tweeted: "Nice phone call off the club doc has made me a very happy lad this evening."

The 24-year-old has made nine appearances for Sunderland in all competitions this season.