AFTER a five match suspension, Sunderland midfielder Jeff Whitley is hoping to make up for lost time tomorrow, writes Paul Fraser.

With Jason McAteer and Paul Thirlwell both on the absent list, Whitley is likely to find himself thrown into battle against promotion rivals West Brom.

And the tough-tackling midfielder, who has travelled on the team bus with the rest of the squad during the games he has missed, insists he would love nothing more than to celebrate his return to action with the three points that would keep alive Sunderland's slim hopes of a top two finish.

"I may have been out for a lot of games but it's only been two and bit weeks," said Whitley, who was punished for two red cards against Preston and Reading.

"I've still been travelling with the team and that's helped me to stay a part of things. If you are injured and you don't travel and train then you don't feel part of it.

"West Brom is a massive game for us and we all know how important it is. We don't need that written in stone. It's going to be tough as well. In fact it will be tough until the end of the season."

Whitley, who could be joined in the starting line-up with defender George McCartney after injury, was banned for the FA Cup semi-final with Millwall at Old Trafford.

But he is determined to help Sunderland make up for that heartache by clinching a place in the Premiership - although he thinks Norwich City are already certainties to go up.

"After the semi-final we had two wins but we had a little set back at Ipswich," said Whitley, who enjoyed two promotion campaigns with Manchester City. "We could go and win every game now and hopefully the sides above us will slip up.

"I didn't think it would be so close. There's no team really running away with it. Everything Norwich touch at the moment turns to gold.

"Norwich have had that luck. No matter how bad they have played they have picked up points. It's their time to go up, it's their time."

Manager Mick McCarthy is convinced Whitley is more than capable of fitting straight back into the side after his lay-off.

McCarthy said: "He was in great form before he was suspended and it was a blow to lose him. He's been suspended for five games but he's only been out a couple of weeks. He's been training and he's played for the reserves so he is ready."

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