Sunderland boss Gus Poyet feels a fit-again Wes Brown will be key to their survival battle.

Poyet is hoping that he will suffer no reaction to playing twice in four days and will be available to face Manchester City.

He said: “When a player has won the Premier League with a team like Manchester United, it is always important to have him available.

“We need to be careful because he has been out for so long, and now in the space of four days he has played a game and a half.

“But it is great news and lets hope he can recover because he knows how to play the game.

“He has experience and class.”