SUNDERLAND midfielder Liam Lawrence has admitted that winning promotion to the Premiership could hinder his chances of further first-team football next season.

But, after silencing the doubters who questioned his ability to adapt to life in the Championship, the former Mansfield playmaker has insisted that he is ready to tackle the top-flight.

The Black Cats need two more wins to secure a top-two finish, although victory over Leicester on Saturday will clinch promotion if Ipswich fail to win a tricky away tie at Leeds.

Premiership football is worth around £25m to Sunderland and, while chairman Bob Murray will not risk a repeat of the financial gamble that almost took the club into administration two years ago, Mick McCarthy will be given money to spend should things go to plan in the next three weeks.

Some of that money will undoubtedly be spent on strengthening a midfield that currently looks ill-equipped to survive in the top-flight.

But, rather than worrying about losing his place, Lawrence is looking forward to the increased competition that promotion would inevitably bring.

"There will probably be some very good players coming in if we go up," said the 23-year-old, who suffered play-off heartbreak with Mansfield 12 months ago. "Because the manager will have a lot of money to spend.

"But the likes of myself, Dean Whitehead and Chris Brown have to show we're as good as anyone they try to bring in and that we can do a job for the club."

Lawrence has played in Sunderland's last three games, after missing most of January and February through a combination of injury and McCarthy's preference for a midfield that included Jeff Whitley.

The Black Cats boss has left Whitley out of his side in recent weeks but, while some fans have taken that to mean the end of the road for the Northern Ireland international, Lawrence thinks it is a more a case of 'horses for courses' at this stage of the season.

"The manager sometimes picks certain players for certain games or certain battles," he said. "You have to accept it and get on with it.

"It has happened with me. He put me in against Burnley and then left me out for a couple of games because he thought I needed more football and more training.

"I wasn't happy about it but I'm never happy when I'm not playing. If the manager sees fit then that's how it is, and every decision he makes seems to be going right for him.

"Whenever you're not in the side or you're sub, you're thinking 'I've got to get back and do well' because it's not very nice not being involved."

Goalkeeper Thomas Myhre was not involved at Ipswich on Sunday, but the Norway international is expected to be fit for this weekend's Stadium of Light showdown with Leicester.

Myhre suffered a side strain at Reading 11 days ago but, while the problem normally takes three weeks to heal, the former Everton keeper is on track for an early return on Saturday.

"I'll get treatment this week and hopefully be in contention for the weekend," said Myhre.

"I had a slight hope for the Ipswich game, but really it was impossible. I tried to do a bit in training, but it didn't take long to realise that it wasn't right.

"Had we beaten Ipswich, we would have been eight points clear now.

"We can't slip up and we need to beat Leicester, but there could still be some twists and turns ahead."