Bramble joined Sunderland from Wigan in July

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has praised defender Titus Bramble after he returned early from a knee injury in Tuesday's 1-0 defeat by Blackpool.

Bramble, 29, came off the bench for a first appearance since mid-November following injury to Nedum Onuoha.

"You could see he was rusty after five-and-a-half weeks out and only trained three days," Bruce told BBC Newcastle.

"But typical Titus, when we're up against it he wanted to be on the bench, so fair play to him."

Bruce added: "The hour will have done him the world of good."

The former Wigan defender also took part in a friendly with Gateshead on Thursday which ended in a 2-2 draw, and is likely to be in contention for Saturday's visit of Blackburn.

Meanwhile Bruce has warned that injuries could affect the club's push up the Premier League this season, despite an impressive first-half of the campaign lifting the club into seventh place.

The Wearsiders are currently without defenders Michael Turner and John Mensah, midfielder Lee Cattermole and strikers Asamoah Gyan and Fraizer Campbell.

"If we can mount a challenge for Europe, then the one thing we'll have to be is a little bit lucky with the injuries that we're picking up," Bruce added.

"When you go to Old Trafford for instance without seven of your best players, your big players, then it's very, very difficult.

"We were restricted last year in the middle of winter with horrific injuries to key people and at this moment we've got too many missing.

"We hope that clears up and we get a free run from now until the end of the season, because we've got six or seven [players out] and three or four them look very serious, and that's horrible."

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