MICHAEL Bridges is on the verge of a sensational return to Wearside after Bolton gave Black Cats boss Mick McCarthy the green light to talk to the former Sunderland striker.

Bridges, who made a £5m move to Leeds United in July 1999, was initially approached by McCarthy in the summer following an unsuccessful loan spell at Newcastle.

But, instead of returning to Sunderland, he opted to stay in the Premiership and move across the Pennines to Bolton.

That move has not worked out, with the 26-year-old yet to make a first-team appearance for the Trotters this season.

Bolton boss Sam Allardyce is desperate to see Bridges in competitive action, and has sounded out a number of Championship sides about the possibility of a loan deal.

With Kevin Kyle due to undergo hip surgery tomorrow, McCarthy is still short of striking talent and is ready to offer Bridges another chance to resurrect his injury-ravaged career.

The former England Under-21 international made just a handful of appearances in his last two years at Elland Road after suffering knee, ankle and Achilles problems that threatened to bring his playing days to an end.

He remains a firm favourite on Wearside and, after missing out on Brett Ormerod when the Southampton striker opted to join Leeds this week, McCarthy could have Bridges on board by the time his side travel to Yorkshire on Friday.

* Fulham have brought in lawyers for advice on the best way to fight a mass of FA disciplinary charges, which could also land manager Chris Coleman and several of his players with major suspensions and fines.

The Londoners are in hot water after Saturday's stormy 1-1 draw at West Brom when they had Papa Bouba Diop and Andy Cole sent off while Albion's Neil Clement was dismissed by referee Mike Dean after one yellow card for diving and another for a professional foul on Luis Boa Morte.

The incidents came a week after Coleman slammed another referee, Mark Halsey, for overturning, on a linesman's advice, a decision to give Fulham a penalty against Arsenal.

That came only after a mass protest by the Arsenal players, who went on to win 3-0.

The FA have since thrown the book at Fulham.

Although the club are not officially commenting yet, chairman Mohammed Al Fayed is renowned for taking recourse to law, especially when financial matters are at stake.

Even so he could be heading for a showdown with Coleman, who has vowed to stand by his players.

He called a challenge by Albion's Darren Purse, which sparked the trouble with Diop, ''a coward's tackle, a real leg-breaker''.