Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is delighted to have Jordan Henderson in action again.

The 19-year-old was expected to be out until the end of March with an ankle injury when he was stretchered off against Wigan, but he returned ahead of schedule by coming on as a half-time substitute during the 1-1 draw with Manchester City.

"Jordan's made a superb recovery and has shown a lot of dedication in getting himself back fit so quickly," Bruce, who fended off a number of loan offers for the youngster at the start of the season, told safc.com.

"He has been a big, big player for us this year and we're obviously delighted to have him back. He still has a big role to play this season and has made fantastic progress in such a short time.

"Jordan did well after coming off the bench and gave 100% for the cause as usual."