Sunderland Football Club have made an approach to loan Joe Hart.

The England international spent last season on loan at Birmingham City, but he has been recalled to Manchester City where he is expected to play second fiddle to Shay Given.

Hart needs regular first team action to establish himself as the national number one, and Steve Bruce has confirmed he has made an approach to take him to the Stadium of Light.

"We've asked the question of City and we now just have to wait and see what they say," he told the Sunderland Echo. "But the timetable is not up to us on when we get an answer, it's up to them.

"With these new 25-man squad rules, clubs don't have to name their confirmed squads until the end of August, so if they wanted to, City could delay any decisions on their squad until then."

Craig Gordon will be absent for the first three months of the season with a broken arm, and with Marton Fulop on his way to Ipswich Town, only youngster Simon Mignolet and Trevor Carson provide options for the Wearside outfit.

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