JOHN Mensah will be fit enough to face Wigan Athletic at the weekend and Steve Bruce admits that gives him a selection dilemma ahead of the trip to the North West.
Key defender Michael Turner has now served a one-match ban and would normally be expected to go straight back into the team.
But Paulo Da Silva and Mensah helped Sunderland keep a clean sheet at the weekend against the Gunners – the first time Ars
enal have failed to score in the Premier League this season – and the manager couldn't but be impressed.
"I've got a few decisions to make in terms of selection, and it's not going to be easy,"
"There's competition for places in some areas of the team right now and not in others, and I've also got to bear in mind that it's an away game and Wigan are going to want to bounce back after a heavy defeat in their last game."
Mensah limped out of the Arsenal game on Saturday in the last 10 minutes, but Bruce added "John did really well to get through the game in the way he did after missing so many games with a succession of niggling injuries.
"He was struggling by the last 10 minutes, and because of that we took him off.
"But he doesn't have a serious problem – it was more a case of him starting to cramp up after getting through so much work – and I certainly have a decision to make in that area.
"Paulo Da Silva was outstanding against Arsenal, but John came in and visibly improved as the game went on.
"It's not easy to keep a clean sheet against Arsenal and he was part of a team that did so. Hopefully he can go on a run of games and improve his fitness now.
"But I also have to think about Michael Turner who has been terrific for us ever since he signed."
Meanwhile Bruce must also decide what to do up front if Darren Bent is ruled out with a hamstring strain for a game in which fellow first-choice striker Kenwyne Jones is suspended.
The most likely option is that Fraizer Campbell will be handed a chance to shine in the lone striker's role.
Bruce said: "What I would say about Fraizer is that he's probably been the unluckiest player this season when it comes to not playing in his preferred position.
"The lad's a striker, but I haven't really been able to play him there as much as I'd like because of the form of Darren and Kenwyne. He's a good player though, and he'll not let anyone down."
