Patrick Mboma has given Peter Reid an injury thumbs up ahead of Sunderland’s game at Leeds on Sunday.
The Cameroon striker limped out of the Black Cats’ defeat at Arsenal with an ankle injury and did not feature against Leicester on Easter Monday.
In fact, he was already a doubt for last weekend’s Highbury fixture because of a knee injury.
But the on-loan Parma man had trained this week and is in the frame for a return at Elland Road.
He said: « My knee is not a concern really, the only problem is my ankle which I originally hurt in the Spurs game.
« The knee injury kept me out of Cameroon’s game against Argentina but I am totally recovered from that and it’s now just a question of taking care of my ankle.
« I trained yesterday and it was okay so I don’t think it will keep me out of Sunday’s game. »
Mboma believes Reid made the right decision to leave him out against the Foxes, but is hoping the Black Cats boss brings him back at Leeds.
He added: »I think the manager made the right decision not to play me on Monday because it has given me time to recover.
« We did really well to beat Leicester but now we have a tough game coming up against Leeds and I just hope that we can take some points off them to help us get closer to safety. »
Mboma was disappointed to miss his country’s draw with World Cup favourites Argentina in Zurich last week.
The 31-year-old, however, was yesterday named in the Cameroon squad for their friendly with Austria later this month and is set to feature.
He said: « I was a blow to miss the last game because it would have been a great experience to play against a team like Argentina but at least I am in the squad for the Austria game.
« These matches are an important part of our build-up for the World Cup but right now they are not as important to me as the ones for Sunderland against Leeds and Liverpool. They are the ones that matter because we need to make sure that we stay up.
« When we are safe then I can start to look towards the World Cup in the summer. »
*George McCartney has been named in the Northern Ireland squad for their friendly with Spain in Belfast later this month.
