Sunderland boss Roy Keane is hoping flying winger Carlos Edwards can ignite his side's push for Premier League survival.The 29-year-old Trinidad and Tobago international could return to senior action for the first time since December 1 against Chelsea on Saturday with his side in dire need of his pace and inspiration.

Edwards has been a huge miss since breaking his leg against Derby before Christmas, with star striker Kenwyne Jones in particular suffering in his absence and that of fellow wide man Kieran Richardson.

However, Richardson now has two league games under his belt as he approaches full fitness and, having managed 60 minutes for the reserves in midweek, Edwards could be thrown in at the deep end with the Black Cats only two points clear of the drop zone.

The Trinidad-born midfielder, a £1.4million signing from Luton in January last year, made a major impact in the club's drive towards the Championship title, and Keane will hope for a similar contribution in the remaining nine games of a difficult campaign.

The manager said: "We hope so, but it is slightly different. Remember, when he came to the club last year, he was fit and ready.

"Sixty minutes in a reserve game is still not much if you are expecting to throw him back in.

"But fortunately for us, Carlos has been doing a lot of training and he is a naturally fit lad anyway.

"We have got to be careful. If we do look to get him back in quickly, we shouldn't expect too much, too soon for him.

"But maybe the next week or two is an ideal chance for him to get some minutes under his belt.

"I am sure Kenwyne and people like that would be quite happy to see Carlos back up and running in the team because he is the one player at the football club who is a massive threat in behind defenders.

"A natural part of his game is to run forward."

Keane threw Edwards straight into the heat of the Wear-Tyne derby against Newcastle on his return from his previous lay-off in November, and while he remains guarded about his inclusion, it would be no surprise if he did so again on Saturday against a side that trounced Derby 6-1 in midweek.

The Irishman said: "He is a big player for us, but we also have to remember we cannot be carrying anybody if they are not quite up to match speed."

The Black Cats head into Saturday's game lying in 16th place in the table and knowing defeat and results elsewhere over the weekend could see them slip back into the bottom three.

Until last weekend's narrow home defeat by Everton, they had won four league games on the trot at the Stadium of Light.

However, they have scored only six goals in their last nine Premier League fixtures, and leading marksman Jones has not found the back of the net since December 29, a run of nine games.

Edwards' return would indeed come as a major boost to him, although Keane has been hugely impressed with the 23-year-old's contribution in recent weeks despite his lack of chances.

He said: "That's the type of player we need at the football club because we are not at the stage yet where we can just walk through games and we know we have got one or two players who can just produce unbelievable bits of quality.

"We know we have all got to put a shift in at the football club, and Kenwyne has been doing that.

"But having said that, if you want to be a top footballer, the least you can do is put in a decent shift. If you cannot do that, you won't make it as a top player, trust me."

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