Sportsmail can reveal that the Black Cats are willing to let the midfielder leave the club rather than risk losing him on a free transfer next summer. They also need to reduce the wage bill.

IAN LADYMAN: Nobody will be surprised to learn that the last player sent off purely for dissent - rather than being given a second yellow card for it - was combustible Sunderland midfielder Lee Cattermole.

Lee Cattermole is on trial at Dutch side VVV-Venlo after ending his long association with Sunderland. Cattermole was at Sunderland for ten years but left the club this summer.

Former Sunderland midfielder Lee Cattermole has signed a one-year contract with Eredivisie club VVV-Venlo. The midfielder scored 10 goals in 262 appearances for the Black Cats.

Steve Bruce is determined to take Newcastle back to Wembley in the Carabao Cup 44 years after watching them lose there to Manchester City as a ball-boy.

Danny Drinkwater is set to make his Burnley debut in Wednesday's Carabao Cup clash with Sunderland as Sean Dyche plans a raft of changes.

Carabao Cup heats up with the addition of top-flight clubs Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, Wolves and 2018-19 winners Manchester City in the third round.

JACK GAUGHAN AT TURF MOOR: Sean Dyche's cup ignominy continued as Sunderland became the latest unfancied side to inflict embarrassment on Burnley.

The winger inspired Peterborough's 3-0 win over Sunderland on Saturday, scoring either side of Josh Knight, and went out for celebratory drinks afterwards.

The 30-year-old will be named among the substitutes for Saturday's visit of Brighton having come through a full week of training for the first time since ankle surgery in March.

It's another busy night of Carabao Cup action as the rest of the Premier League clubs enter the competition at the third round stage. Join Sportsmail's JORDAN SEWARD for all the goals as they go in.

EXCLUSIVE BY MATT HUGHES AND CRAIG HOPE: Florida-based GACP Sports, who already own Bordeaux, are said to be interested in buying Newcastle in a £300million deal.

Former Sunderland defender Carlos Edwards has backed Neil Harris or Ian Holloway to land the vacant managerial role at the Stadium of Light.

The Carabao Cup returns on Tuesday and League Two Crawley (left) will look to continue their unlikely run to the latter stages, while Frank Lampard (right) will eye revenge against Man United.

Manchester City host Southampton at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night in the Carabao Cup as they look to add to Saints' misery after Leicester's nine goal thrashing of them last Friday.

JOE BERNSTEIN AT THE KASSAM STADIUM: An all-League One tie proved as close as the league positions suggested with only three points separating the clubs.

The American group who had been expected to complete a takeover of Sunderland have instead invested a 'very substantial sum' in the League One club.

Keeper Jon McLaughlin's calamitous error cost Sunderland a direct route into round two of the FA Cup after they were held 1-1 by Gillingham on Saturday.

Some caretakers managers have proved successful and gained the job permanently. Others have proved disastrous. Sportsmail take a look at some of the best and some of the worst.

The last decade has seen plenty of high-profile signings - and Sportsmail has already picked out the very best. Now it's time to go through the very worst. From 20 to 1, here's the full rundown.

CHRIS SUTTON - FA CUP VERDICT: People from the North East live and breathe football. Walk around Newcastle city centre on any given day, and you'll see black and white stripes aplenty.

Three of the most memorable football matches of my youth were all very different. All are linked by one thing. On each occasion, a ticket was purchased on the day of the game.

Former England captain Dave Watson has a neurodegenerative disease that was 'most likely' brought on by head injuries and repeated heading of the ball during his playing days.

EXCLUSIVE BY CRAIG HOPE: A former Sunderland academy physio has been released with no further action after an investigation following his arrest on suspicion of sexual grooming.

With the country heading into lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic, we could all soon find ourselves with plenty of time on our hands. So we came up with a few good ways to keep entertained.

Sunderland have placed its first-team players, contracted academy players and backroom staff on furlough leave due to coronavirus.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY IAN LADYMAN: There was a time when Mick McCarthy thought football was straightforward -but it didn't last very long into his career.

In his teen years, a professional deal at Sunderland was in the balance, but it was Henderson's well-known dedication and attitude which swung the decision in his favour.

There is an 800lb elephant in the room for this Australian Open semi-final in the shape of Dani Vallverdu, Andy Murray's former assistant, but my advice would be: don't make it personal.

BRAD GILBERT: I had Novak Djokovic as strong favourite for the Australian Open title but now I am not so sure. I am feeling increasingly good vibes about Andy Murray. Djokovic has struggled.

BRAD GILBERT INSIGHT: Wednesday's French Open men's quarter-finals will see two tantalising battles with Andy Murray up against David Ferrer, while Rafael Nadal faces Novak Djokovic.

The 2019 Wimbledon Championships get underway on Monday. Sportsmail 's Brad Gilbert gives his view on the top contenders in both the men's and women's tournaments.

The 39-year-old was the first Briton to win the Tour de France in 2012 and took Olympic time trial gold just days later, but said he no longer wants to be defined by his sporting success.

Sir Bradley Wiggins, from London, has revealed he won't be pushing his 'very talented' son into becoming a professional cyclist - claiming that doing so to bask in the reflected glory would be 'cruel'.

In a profanity-laden tirade from one of TV's most famous liaisons of science and learning, viewers were dealt a stark warning about the disastrous effects of climate change.

Former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd has given an explosive interview in which he claims Scott Morrison is 'unfit for office'. 

Asking the prime minister if this is 'the sort of world' he wants for his daughters, the campaigners said the country had been hit by 'unprecedented' disasters.

A Russian scientist reveals the animals are feeding on each other in the Arctic as melting ice and fossil fuel extraction companies are forcing the animals out of their traditional hunting grounds.

Consumer experts at Which? found the latest generation of cars being sold to UK consumers emit more CO2, which is associated with climate change.

Hedgehogs have not hibernated this winter because of unprecedented mild weather caused by climate change, according to a UK animal rescue centre.

Ivanka Trump publicly confirmed that she'd switched her voter registration from Democrat to Republican so she can vote for her father Donald Trump in the New York state primary next month.

Experts led from the University of Leeds found that drought and higher temperatures are reducing the amount of carbon dioxide being stored in trees.

Greenhouse gas emissions need to be slashed by more than 7 per cent a year for the next decade to avoid 'climate disaster', warns a new study of 10 years of UN climate reports

Boffins at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation have developed FutureFeed, an additive made from a red seaweed called asparagopsis.

Climate neutrality by 2050 is unlikely for the UK without drastic technological and societal changes including limiting aviation and halving meat production, a report has found.

An increase in wooded plants in both savanna and tundra regions is caused by increased rainfall and temperatures that can be attributed to climate change, UK ecologists have concluded.

Researchers from Bangor University in Wales used computer models to discover that ecosystems were collapsing at a 'significantly faster rate' than first thought.

The Russian pranksters who tricked Prince Harry into believing he was talking to Greta Thunberg have today warned they will release more audio.

The Duke of Sussex says that Greta Thunberg could outsmart US President Donald Trump, discusses changing mindsets on climate change and the possibility of the activist marrying Prince George.

Scientists say that the alarming melt rate means that, if left unaddressed, we will see global sea levels rising an extra 6.6 inches (17 centimetres) by 2100.