Gyan may wait for Sunderland debut
STEVE Bruce says even HE doesn't know yet whether record signing Asamoah Gyan will be handed his Sunderland debut against Wigan Athletic this weekend.
Gyan joined from Rennes for 13m, and Bruce is excited about the potential partnership between the Ghanaian star and England's Darren Bent.
But whether or not that partnership is given an immediate chance to pay dividends this Saturday remains to be seen.
Bruce said: "I've really got to wait for Asamoah to get back from international duty to see how he is and before I make any decision.
"So, in all honesty, even I'm not sure whether or not he'll play this weekend, or how much involvement he might have.
"It's a long trip from Ghana, and I will check on his condition when he walks through the door.
"If he is OK, there's every chance he will be involved at some stage at Wigan, but we've been looking at setting up more defensively away from home, so we have options regardless.
"Last week we played more of a 4-5-1 formation against Manchester City and it worked for us, so we've got some thinking to do before the Wigan game.
"But Asamoah will definitely come into the mix, especially if he looks fresh enough when he gets here, and long-term I think he could be the perfect foil for Darren Bent.
"You can never second-guess anything in football but the ingredients are there for them to bounce off each other really well."
The Ghanain will return to Sunderland this evening for the first time since agreeing his move to Sunderland, and it means the 24-year-old is likely to have only a couple of training sessions with his new team-mates.
Gyan succeeds 10m-man Bent as Sunderland's record signing, and he will be hoping to make the same kind of instant impact that the former Spurs man made when he joined the Black Cats.
"In the Premier League, you're only as good as your strikers," added Bruce.
"We've brought in more strength in depth throughout the team – the players I brought in earlier in the summer have given us added depth in defence and midfield.
"And now we've got another top striker in Gyan, just in case – and let's hope it doesn't happen – anything happened to Benty.
Bruce said: "I sincerely Asamoah hits the ground running, but we just have to wait and see.
"African players have an attitude and mentality that seems to suit the Premier League – in general, they seem to adapt to it well because they can handle the physical side of the game. Gyan certainly fits that category.
"He's a larger than life character and he also speaks the language perfectly, which is a big help, and, of course, he has his Ghana team-mate John Mensah here to help him get used to living in England.
"So there's no reason why he can't slot in straight away, and if that proves the case, it will be great for the club and the supporters."
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Monday 21 May 2012
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