Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has admitted he may have to rein in the tenacious instincts of captain Lorik Cana if he is to keep him on the pitch.

The 26-year-old Albania international has made an impressive start to his career on Wearside after completing a £5million summer switch from Marseille.

His tough-tackling approach in central midfield has already established him as a favourite at the Stadium of Light, although the yellow card he picked up during Saturday's 4-1 Premier League victory over Hull was his third in five games.

Bruce has been delighted with Cana's contribution to a solid start to the campaign, but admits he needs to curb the bookings if he is to avoid suspension.

He said: "That's his third yellow card - it is just getting him through the season that will be an issue.

"To say he is trying to do his best is an understatement. You can see why I have made him captain.

"He has obviously got to try to curb it, but he is just full of enthusiasm, trying to do the job and trying to play in England.

"Everybody is telling him how tough England is - well, the Albanian captain is there to stand up.

"He has got a good way about him. We will obviously have to check the yellow cards if we can, but he will be a cult hero here, I am sure of it."

Cana and fellow new arrival Lee Cattermole have made a major impact in the Black Cats' engine room, while £10million striker Darren Bent has collected four goals in five starts.

A 3-1 home defeat by Chelsea was perhaps not unexpected, but apart from that and a sub-standard display in a 1-0 reverse at Stoke, Bruce has been more than satisfied with a solid first few weeks of the campaign.

However, he will allow no-one to be carried away, and will now concentrate on easing latest acquisitions Paulo da Silva and John Mensah - both men were used as late substitutes at the weekend - into action.

Bruce said: "The one thing I have learnt with the Premier League is don't get too carried away.

"It's been a decent start, but we have done a hell of a lot - 15 out, seven in - there has been a huge turn-around.

"Mensah and da Silva, we can now get them back playing. We signed them five, six weeks ago - it seems months since we signed them, but we really haven't seen them, so their season starts now.

"It's not bad when you have two captains of their country - the captain of Paraguay and the captain of Ghana - to come on as subs.

"I think we have made progress."