Sunderland boss Roy Keane is confident crocked captain Dean Whitehead will return from his knee injury better than before.
"I will sit down and speak to him properly again but I think he could be better off taking a break.
"I have suffered from a snapped cruciate in my career too and at Manchester United I was always encouraged to take time out for a while.
"It makes you a better player.
"You look at things differently and think about the way you play your game and what you can do better.
"I know Deano is not a great watcher and once he has a couple of weeks off he can come back better for it.
"He can recharge his batteries and this can be mentally very good for him."