Ghana captain John Mensah has returned to fitness for his English Premier League side Sunderland after being out of action for nearly one month.
The defender was on the bench for Sunderland when they beat Blackpool 2-1 on Saturday in a league game.
Mensah has been working his way back towards full fitness after almost a month on the sidelines with an ankle injury.
Coach Steve Bruce’s reliable centre-back  did not play any part in the busy Christmas schedule after suffering the ankle injury.
The Sunderland centre-back picked up the problem during 1-0 victory over Bolton in December and had to be taken off midway through the first half.
Mensah has been plagued by injuries throughout his Black Cats career but he was sidelined with an injury which was unusual for him as he had suffered thigh and calf problems in the past.
As he was on the bench for Saturday’s match he should be ready to play in their subsequent matches.