Don Doing Fine

Don Hutchison insists he should be fit in time for Leicester City on Saturday.

The news is a relief to Glenn Roeder, who can ill afford any more injuries to his beleaguered squad.

Don spent several minutes on the field with a strapping on his thigh after receiving treatment for a gash, before Hayden Foxe replaced him (rather than coming on for Christian Dailly, as one newspaper stated) in midfield. Club doctor Ges Steinbergs confirms: "After he came off I gave him seven stitches in the dressing room."

But Don says: "I'm alright; it was an unfortunate one with the lad just running back, and his stud hit my thigh and sliced it.

"I wouldn't have thought it would rule me out for Saturday - hopefully I will be fit for that."

With Don's former club Sunderland being knocked out at home by West Bromwich Albion at the weekend, Don was happy to earn a fourth round draw at either Carrow Road or Stamford Bridge and admits: "It is a relief to get through.

"But we gave them the respect they deserve; the lads treated the game well and did the job properly.

"I think we passed the ball well at times and they closed us down - it was a big game for them.

"I think we have got a good team spirit now so hopefully, touch wood, we can go a long way."

As for the league, Don says the loss at Elland Road last week will not affect confidence, and he adds: "If you had asked the boss and the players if we were to go six unbeaten in December, I'm sure we'd have taken it because we had some big games against Man U, Liverpool, and Arsenal.

"A defeat was always going to happen, and it is about how we bounce back and go on another run."