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Bent out of Villa tie
Sunderland, 13:37, October 27, 2009 ,
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is unlikely to risk top-scorer Darren Bent after the striker picked up a knee injury at the weekend.
The Black Cats striker jarred his knee in the defeat to Birmingham on Saturday and Bruce is set to leave him out of tonight's Carling Cup tie against Premier League rivals Aston Villa.
Defender Phil Bardsley is unlikely to feature with a shoulder injury, while fellow defender John Mensah is also set to miss out as he has a calf injury.
Long-term absentee Lee Cattermole will be out of action until January but Bruce is expected to name his strongest possible starting eleven after admitting he was keen to see his side progress as far as possible in the competition.