GUS POYET feared Steven Fletcher has suffered a broken metatarsal in last weekend’s defeat to Arsenal, and admitted his relief that the striker will be fit to line up at Crystal Palace on Monday night.

Fletcher was forced off five minutes into the second half at the Stadium of Light after receiving a stamp on the foot with the team doctor concerned it could be fractured.

The Scotland international underwent x-rays straight away to determine the extent of the problem, but to Poyet’s relief they confirmed the striker had only suffered bad bruising.

The news provides a welcome boost for the Black Cats boss, whose side dropped into the bottom three after Newcastle beat Tottenham on Sunday, and he will hope the striker can get back to scoring ways.

A poor start to the season saw Poyet drop the £12m front man, but he returned to the team in impressive fashion when he scored twice in Sunderland’s only win this season against Stoke City.

“Fletch is back and he’s been training this week similar to before the Stoke game so I am really looking forward to seeing him on the pitch on Monday,” Poyet said.

“I feared he had broken his metatarsal. That was a shout. The doctor said to me it could be that because of the pain he had and where it was.

Lucky enough it was not, which is great. He has had two or three days rest with the bruising. He trained without any problems yesterday (Thursday) so he’s okay.”

Fletcher has been unlucky with injuries since joining Sunderland and has spent two lengthy spells on the sidelines, but Poyet, who is still without Emanuele Giaccherini, Sebastian Coates, Ricky Alvarez and Billy Jones, insists he is not reading anything too much into the 27-year-old’s record.

He said: “I need a witch. I need someone to come here and throw something on him, but that’s football.

“I don’t go too deep with injuries. If it’s the same injury for everyone that’s something we are doing wrong, but you can’t avoid the contact injuries when somebody stamps on him. It’s part of the risk.”

Giaccherini, Alvarez, Coates and Jones are still some way off returning, but while he is not using their absence as an excuse for recent results, Poyet admitted his side is missing the attacking craft of Giaccherini and Alvarez in particular.

“The four of them are important. We’ve got a small team and they are players that were in a position to make a difference.

“I think when Billy plays we are a little higher up the pitch and we had options on the right with Buckley, which was interesting. Ricky Alvarez and Giaccherini are players who can open a door and do something special in the last third.

Seb Coates has only played 45 minutes, but those two in particular, we need them. Yes we miss them, but when a team is not doing well, the best players are always those not playing.

“Hopefully we can do enough in the next few games so that when they come back they find a proper team on the pitch and they can enjoy their football.”

Poyet is pondering changes for the trip to Selhurst Park after watching individual mistakes cost his side in their last two outings. Wes Brown and Vito Mannone, who were culpable in the home defeat to Arsenal, are the prime candidates to be replaced and Poyet revealed he still has some big decisions to make over the weekend.

He said: “I will look at it and make a strong decision either way. Keeping Vito or dropping him is a strong decision, because he’s a very important player. You will know on Monday night.

“He (Reveillere) has had an extra week in training and an extra week of understanding what we want. If he wasn’t going to play he would go back to France.

““It’s an option which I am looking closely at.

“Every individual is different and reacts differently. There are decisions to make which I'm not afraid to make. It's going to be my decision, which is why I'm in the job. I like these big decisions.”

Asked whether he felt Pantilimon would be ready to come into the side, Poyet added: “I think that’s something we will find out if he plays and how he performs. I tell my son to be ready, so imagine my players.

If I give you the chance and you are not ready you can’t blame me.

“I can’t send you a text or an email and say ‘what’s up’ to make sure players are ready. It’s part of the job. A few players are pushing and I have to make sure I pick the right ones.”

Forgotten man Danny Graham looked set to end his nightmare spell on Wearside this week, but his proposed loan move to Brentford collapsed.

The former Middlesbrough striker has only played two minutes of the Black Cats’ season to date and Poyet explained why.

“I think he has been close, but it depends on the characteristics of the team. If you use the wingers well they can put balls in and give you a chance.

“I don’t think we’ve been doing that whatsoever so we have needed a different proposition, but it’s up to him every day.”