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Defender woe for Bruce
Sunderland, 15:52, December 10, 2009 ,
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has lost defender Anton Ferdinand for the busy festive fixtures because of an ankle injury.
The 24-year-old has been ruled out for a month after suffering ankle ligament damage under a challenge from Erik Nevland in Sunday's 1-0 defeat to Fulham.
It is a bad blow for the former West Ham centre-half, who was making his first start in almost two months and had been the subject of speculation overa mobe back to London.
Boss Bruce, already without injured John Mensah, has seen his defensive options reduced further going into the Christmas fixture programme.
"Nevland's body weight came down on the ankle when they went to ground and he has no chance for the weekend," Bruce told the Sunderland Echo.
"It's a nasty one and it looks like it could be a month at least for him."