Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is keeping his fingers crossed that key midfielder Lee Cattermole could return from injury a month earlier than expected.

The 21-year-old was ruled out for at least three months after suffering medial ligament damage during the 1-0 Barclays Premier League victory over Liverpool on October 17.

However, having worked with Cattermole at Wigan last season, Bruce has a gut feeling that the Stockton-born enforcer, in whom he invested £6million this summer, might be ready sooner.

He told the Sunderland Echo: "Catts has been out for three weeks already, but after the Spurs game this weekend, there is another

fortnight before we play Arsenal and all of a sudden, he has been out for getting on towards five or six weeks.

"And Cattermole being Cattermole, I would think he will be back more quickly than the doctors have predicted.

"The kind of person he is, I have just got this gut feeling that he might be out for eight weeks rather than the 12 weeks that was said at the start.

"Of course, ultimately I will have to be governed by what the medical people say, but knowing Lee's mentality, he will be keen to get back as quickly as possible.

"For instance, already he can't wait to get the brace off his knee and it won't be long now before that does come off."

Bruce worked hard to lure Cattermole to the Stadium of Light 12 months after paying £3.5million to take him from Middlesbrough to Wigan, and has been richly rewarded since.

The England Under-21 international has formed a formidable central midfield partnership with new skipper Lorik Cana, and that has been a major factor in the Black Cats' promising start to the campaign.

It is perhaps no coincidence that they have won none of the three games he has missed with a league defeat at Birmingham having been followed by their Carling Cup exit at the hands of Aston Villa on penalties and a hard-fought 2-2 draw with West Ham.

With Cana also missing through suspension for this weekend's trip to Tottenham and striker Kenwyne Jones also facing a three-match ban, Bruce's resources will be tested to the full.

With that in mind, forgotten man Roy O'Donovan will hope to have caught the manager's eye with a hat-trick on reserve team duty last night.

O'Donovan made the major contribution to a 6-1 victory over Bolton's second string following his return from a loan spell at Southend, and is desperate for regular football.

He told the club's official website, www.safc.com: "It's the first time in a long time I have felt sharp and almost back to myself.

"I think I'm just about getting a run together now. I had appendicitis at Blackpool last year and that knocked me back.

"I haven't played that much football in the last year and a

bit.

"It's nice to get a run of games together. Hopefully I carry on getting a run of games now and get my career going again."