JACK Colback has returned to Sunderland and will walk straight into the Black Cats side for their FA Cup home third round game against League One Notts County tomorrow.

The move will be viewed as a disaster by Ipswich Town boss Roy Keane, who has virtually made the 21-year-old an ever present while on loan at Portman Road last season and this.

Injuries to ball winners Lee Cattermole and David Myler along with Sunderland manager Steve Bruce’s desire to rest a couple of his players after a hectic Christmas period to keep them fresh for the game against Newcastle next weekend has lead to the manager’s decision to recall Colback before the County match.

Bruce is happy to leave Colback to sort out his own future, but with Town unable to come up with the necessary finance to satisfy the player’s desire for a permanent move the player’s future remains in the balance.

Colback could well be back at Ipswich later in the month if Keane remains in the Town hot seat.

This could be either on a new loan arrangement if Colback does not find a permanent move elsewhere or on a permanent basis if Keane manufactures his own finance.

Bruce will feel it was pointless keeping Colback at Ipswich with the player unavailable for Town’s next two matches (both in cup competitions) and unhappy at being unable to cement a permanent move.

Cattermole is out with a back injury until February while Myler, who has been starring as a ball winner, suffered further cruciate damage to the same knee where he suffered a similar injury last season.

Unless he made a permanent move to Suffolk Colback was always going to miss Sunday’s FA Cup third round game at Chelsea, with Town also without Grant Leadbitter as the ex-Sunderland man will be serving the first game of a three-match suspension.

There was better news for Keane last night with Tottenham agreeing to allow Ipswich to use on-loan Jake Livermore at Stamford Bridge while the Blues have sounded out Celtic to gain permission for Darren O’Dea to be released to play.

The third on-loan player left at Portman Road - Rory Fallon - is cup-tied having played for Plymouth against Swindon in an earlier round.