AFTER missing out on a decent opportunity to end a seven-match winless run in the Premier League, Sunderland skipper Lorik Cana is satisfied confidence will still be high when they head to leaders Chelsea.

The Black Cats’ weekend fixture with Bolton at the Stadium of Light fell victim to the sub-zero temperatures and heavy snowfall, leaving manager Steve Bruce frustrated and intent on heading away for some warm weather training ahead of the trip to Stamford Bridge.

The Sunderland squad will hit the continent in the next 24 hours, having been unable to spend much time on the training ground because of the Arctic conditions.

And Cana is confident that, despite the postponement of Saturday’s game, Sunderland can build on the FA Cup third round victory over non-league Barrow by finding form again in the league.

Sunderland have slipped down the table, with injuries and suspensions contributing to a poor run of form that has left them searching for a first league win since October 21.

“When you don’t win for a long time it’s special when you do,” said Cana. “It’s not that we haven’t been playing well during that run.

“We have been unlucky against Portsmouth, Blackburn and Everton, but the win against Barrow was important for us.

“The Bolton game would have been a really important game for us to start turning things around in the New Year. We have to make sure we are focused on whatever game we have.

“It’s been difficult with the amount of injuries we have had. Sometimes giving opportunities to substitutes and younger players, who don’t play much, can help the squad, and I think it has.

“We can now have greater confidence in the whole squad because we know we have players to come in. It gives confidence to the whole team because the first team players must work harder to keep their places.

Hopefully it will help us to win soon in the league.”

Andy Reid, Kieran Richardson, John Mensah, Kenwyne Jones and Lee Cattermole could be in contention for the trip after injury problems.

When Bruce does have a stronger squad to choose from he will be reluctant to have his big players serve suspensions, something Cana himself looks destined to be heading towards.

Cana has already served two bans and he picked up his seventh yellow card against Barrow, but he will not change his ways.

“If people just focus on my cards it’s not fair, that’s not what is important,” he said.

“It’s how I play that matters. I don’t think about trying to get yellow cards or to stop getting them.

“When I’m on the pitch I just want to help the team.”

Bruce hopes to have added to his squad before the end of the month but it would seem unlikely any new faces are on board for the Chelsea match.

Germany striker Kevin Kuranyi has been on the manager’s radar but reputed demands of £130,000-a-week have scuppered Sunderland’s hopes of landing the Schalke man, with Chelsea also now credited with an interest.