Wes Brown is closing in on a return to action with Sunderland according to manager Paolo Di Canio.
The 33-year old defender has been sidelined with a knee injury for the past year-and-a-half but is on the improve and could be soon available for selection.
"Wes is looking much better than he did last week and this is a good signal, so I am going to decide tomorrow what to do with him," he said.
"Wes is very close. It was important he had a good session with the rest of his team-mates and I will decide if he going to be involved in this game - which is a hard game - after so many months out."
Brown arrived at the Stadium of Light from Manchester United in 2011 but has managed just 22 appearances since.
