Cattermole has found himself in the firing line of Luka Modric and Harry Redknapp in recent days after a no-nonsense challenge on the Croatian during Tuesday night's 1-1 draw at White Hart Lane. Redknapp branded Cattermole's tackle, for which he was booked by match referee Howard Webb, "reckless", but Bruce believes it was a perfectly fair challenge. Indeed, he produced his own video evidence as he held his press conference ahead of Sunday's Premier League trip to Chelsea to illustrate his point. Bruce said: "I am going to go to Mike Riley and I am going to ask him to come and clarify if that is legal or not legal because, at the end of the day, Lee still received a yellow card. "I think we want clarity on it to say what it is. The one thing we have tried with Lee is to say, 'Hey, listen, the last thing we want is a reputation'. "He has done his best, but he makes one challenge and it's away with it again." Cattermole has already been sent off twice this season for two bookable offences and has gained something of a reputation, although one which Bruce insists has been unfairly attributed to him. The footage he produced showed that the midfielder made firm contact with the ball and then caught Modric as his foot bounced up off it. Bruce said: "Now, I don't want to see Modric injured, but I have got to disagree with Harry. For me, it's not a ridiculous tackle, it's a fair one and a good one. "Unfortunately, there are grey areas now. If you tackle like this, 10 years ago everyone in the ground would applaud and say what a fantastic tackle. "Now all of a sudden, there's a grey area and people say, 'Well, you got the man as well'. Well, if you tackle on the floor, you are always going to make contact with the man. "But as long as you play the ball and don't go over the top of the ball, then for me, it is a good challenge. "It's why the Premier League is watched all around the world, that physical element you don't see anywhere else, and that's what makes it the spectacle. "That's how difficult it is. I think it's fair, but there you go. I think you are wrong, Harry." Cattermole's robust approach will be needed at Stamford Bridge as Sunderland return to the scene of a 7-2 thrashing last season. Jordan Henderson made his senior debut for the club in a 5-0 defeat at the same venue during the previous season, and it is a measure of how far he has come since that he is in consideration in a place for England boss Fabio Capello's latest squad, which will be announced tomorrow evening. Bruce said: "It would be a fantastic rise for the boy. "He is the modern-day player. He is constantly at 13km a match, which takes some doing. "He's 6'2", he can run up and down, but for me the biggest attribute he has is not just his football ability, but he wants to be a football player. "There are no real distractions for him and I hope that continues. "I will do my damnedest, as I am sure his family will, to make sure he keeps that attitude because all the kid wants to do at the minute is play football, which in this day and age is quite refreshing." There will be another chance too for record signing Asamoah Gyan to add to his tally of three goals in his first two Premier League starts in the absence of the injured Darren Bent. Bruce said: "He has just started. There is a long winter ahead, but he has got a good attitude, he wants to do well, so fair play to him."
