Carsten happy with loan

The 24-year-old winger will train with Bolton for the next fortnight in an attempt to impress manager Sam Allardyce.

Fredgaard said: "Bolton contacted Sunderland and asked if I wanted to come down to practice. Of course I said yes."

The Danish international has not started a League game since his £1.8m move from Lyngby before the start of last season.

His failure to make the grade has been a bitter disappointment to Sunderland manager Peter Reid because Fredgaard arrived at the Stadium of Light with a massive reputation.

He was voted Denmark's Young Player of the Year in 1998 and was being chased by several other leading European clubs.

Fredgaard has since been capped by Denmark, but his only taste of first team football was a five-game loan spell at West Brom last season.

Lyngby have recently attempted to re-sign him. They were unable to agree a fee with Sunderland, but still hope to push through a deal.

However, Fredgaard remains keen to stay in England and would welcome the chance to sign for Bolton, who have strong links with Sunderland.

Allan Johnston and Darren Holloway went on loan to the Reebok Stadium last season and Allardyce has already tried to sign Nicky Summerbee and Paul Butler this term.

Reid has allowed several players to leave on loan in recent weeks and his readiness to let Fredgaard depart for at least a fortnight reflects the size of the senior squad at Sunderland.

There have been two more additions to it this week with Gavin McCann and Stefan Schwarz back in full training after recovering from long-term injuries.

The pair were due to play in a midweek friendly against Carlisle, but it was called off because the pitch at Whitburn was waterlogged. Now Schwarz and McCann are expected to return to action in Monday night's reserves derby against Middlesbrough at New Ferens Park.

Swedish international Schwarz, out for seven months following an Achilles tendon operation, admitted yesterday: "I'm looking forward to playing again.

"I've done a lot of fitness work. There's no easy way back - you have to be prepared to sweat a bit.

"But it's totally different when you are on the pitch and I need to build up my match fitness. I'm very confident and I'm improving all the time, but it will be a little while before I'm at my best."

Schwarz is now 31, but insisted the injury never posed a threat to his future. "It was a bad injury, but the surgeon was very positive - I had no worries at all," he said.

"The first six weeks after I was injured were quite hard, though, because I couldn't do anything at all. I was disappointed when I realised I would miss Euro 2000, but I came to terms with it very quickly. After all, I've played in World Cup and European Championships."

Schwarz is refusing to set a target for a first-team return, but both he and McCann will surely be eyeing the end of this month when Sunderland are at home to Manchester United in the Worthington Cup.

Reid said yesterday: "It's a fantastic draw. The game will really spark the imagination of the Sunderland public."

Both are likely to rest some of their first team regulars, but Reid insisted: "Contrary to popular opinion, I treat the Worthington Cup as a major competition.

"But I like to give a chance to players who haven't been in the first team. That doesn't devalue the competition - it's giving them the opportunity to impress me.

"Alex Ferguson mixes up his squad and I do the same, but it's still certain to be a really good contest."

l Leeds boss David O'Leary believes it is finally time managers were allowed to speak out against referees without fearing the wrath of the Football Association.

Managers are forced to virtually remain silent when they feel the officials have badly handled a match as they know the FA will slap them with a disrepute charge for any disparaging comments.

Aston Villa boss John Gregory has become infamous for his often no-holds barred tirades against referees, but they have nearly always landed him in hot water