AFTER learning he should be back in action before December, Sunderland captain Dean Whitehead last night revealed how manager Roy Keane has nursed him through his injury nightmare.

Whitehead was resigned to being sidelined for six months after damaging his anterior cruciate ligament in training - after just two games of the new season.

But the 25-year-old has been informed that he will not require surgery and the injury, similar to the one Michael Owen suffered at last year's World Cup, should repair itself by mid-November.

If that proves the case he could make his return later that month, allaying Whitehead's fears of being unable to play any part in the Black Cats' top-flight return.

"Having been told I was going to be out for the season, obviously it's a massive boost for me," he said. "Hopefully, if all things go well, I'll be able to return a lot earlier than expected.

"When you get told you're out for the season there is nothing you can do about it, you just have to try to get your head round it and crack on with your rehabilitation in the gym.

"It took me a while to get my head round it to be honest, probably a week or two at least, but ultimately you know you've got to just get on with it.

"It's part and parcel of football. You don't go into games thinking about getting injured, but it comes with the territory and you have to be able to accept the setbacks.

"Fortunately I've been quite lucky with injuries, but these things happen. I just had to be as positive as I could and get back as quickly as possible. Thankfully it looks as though I'll be back sooner than we first thought."

Along with Carlos Edwards, himself out for another two weeks with hamstring trouble, Whitehead has been labelled as the two members of the squad Keane did not want to lose at this stage of the campaign.

But, despite the positive news, Whitehead is by no means in the mood to hurry. He is determined to return when he knows his knee is right.

And in Keane, the man who handed the midfielder the captaincy, he has a manager who has also played his part in keeping his spirits up.

"It will be a caution first policy. You've got to be very careful with knee injuries, particularly when it's one like I've got," said Whitehead.

"There will no rushing back just for the sake of it. We'll play it by ear, you've got to give yourself targets, but if I don't make that target I won't be tempted to force myself to make it.

"The manager had his fair share of injuries as a player and he was brilliant with me. We had a good few chats, when I was first told I'd miss the whole of the season and it was great for me in terms of helping me comprehend the disappointment.

"It really helped to have someone who could say the right words at the right time. He's been there and done it so he knew exactly how I felt." Whitehead would have loved the chance to compete with former Sunderland team-mate Julio Arca on Saturday.

Arca will be part of the Middlesbrough midfield at the Riverside Stadium, when he will face his old employers for the first time since leaving in the summer of last year.

And Whitehead remains full of admiration. "Julio is a top player with great feet," he said. "It would have been nice to have played against him and we will need to keep a close eye on him. We always thought he could play in any position.

"He's so good you could stick him anywhere on the pitch. He's in central midfield and a lot of the play goes through him at Boro. I think he will get a good reception from Sunderland fans, he deserves it."

Sunderland striker Andrew Cole, yet to make his debut because of injury, is in contention for a place in the squad ahead of the trip to Teesside.