GEORGE McCartney has told of the determination within Sunderland's squad to focus on the job in hand despite having the harrowing memories of the terrifying tackle on teammate Colin Healy etched in their minds.

After spending Monday night in a Coventry hospital, Healy travelled back to the North-East yesterday with some encouraging news on the broken leg he sustained when Coventry's Youssef Safri smashed into his right shin.

The Irish midfielder is still facing up to the prospect of spending the rest of the season on the sidelines but physio Peter Friar has told manager Mick McCarthy that X-rays revealed a clean break.

That means that early fears from some quarters of the 23-year-old's career being under threat are off the mark.

Nevertheless, Sunderland skipper McCartney believes the television image, which appeared to show Healy's shin snap in two, will stick with him for many years.

The defender said: "It's frightening when something like that happens while you are out there because it's only a game of football.

"Football is life or death for some players and it's hard sometimes when things like this happen because you know there are always going to be full-blooded challenges.

"All the lads are just hoping it is not too serious and that he gets a quick recovery and is back playing as soon as possile."

A decision is expected today on whether the injury needs surgery.

But, regardless of the outcome, McCartney could not believe that referee, Michael Jones, waved play on as Healy was lying in agony on the Highfield Road turf.

"I thought it looked a really bad tackle and unbelievably the referee hasn't seen it that way," said the Northern Ireland international. "Colin was in obvious pain and the referee has just let the game go on. He wasn't too far away from the incident either.

"But it's very disappointing for us all because he has been a big part in the way we have been playing over the past few weeks. He has been doing really well and to lose him will be very disappointing.

"If we were without him for two weeks it would have been no good for the team, so to be without him for months is a lot worse."

Paul Thirlwell is the likely candidate to replace Healy in the middle when Sunderland make the trip to West Ham on Saturday.

After a poor start, the Hammers have had a mini revival under new boss Alan Pardew.

West Ham lost to Stoke at Upton Park last night, but go into Saturday's clash knowing three points will take them above Sunderland and it should push them into the play-off zone.

McCartney admits it is going to be tough and he is calling for the rest of the team to start to help the strikers out in the scoring stakes.

"It will be very hard," said the Sunderland star, whose side has failed to win in five matches. "They had a few draws when the new manager came in and now he has started to put a couple of victories together and they have some very good players.

"But I'm confident we can go there and play with confidence and come away with a result.

"We have got very good strikers here and they prove that every day in training. It's the same about all strikers, they go through bad spells, it just so happens that it's happening to all of ours at the same time.

"But it's not just down to the strikers to score goals, it's down to the whole team and I can't put the blame on them. We just have to keep plugging away.

"We are playing well it's just that we are not taking all three points across the finishing line.

"We are picking up a point here and there but we need to start getting all three if we are to get back into the Premiership.

"The top two or three teams are now starting to get a bit of daylight between us and themselves."