Bruce's opening league line-up still in question; Key men will be away during the big build-up.

Byline: Stuart Rayner

Heart of Midlothian 1 Sunderland 1

EDINBURGH seemed as good a place as any for Sunderland's travelling support to try and work out who will be at the heart of Steve Bruce's plans next week and who will be on the fringe. They returned home with more questions than answers.

This has been a productive pre-season for Sunderland, with Benfica the only one of seven opponents to beat them. But the Black Cats' squad is incomplete and some of those in situ are undercooked for the opening game at Bolton Wanderers.

With the transfer window open for another three weeks and a full programme of midweek internationals, the authorities have done their best to ensure all Premier League clubs go into the first weekend under-prepared.

Kenwyne Jones, Carlos Edwards, George McCartney, David Healy, Teemu Tainio, Lorik Cana and even England Under-19 international Jordan Henderson, the emerging star of this build-up, will be elsewhere this week when Bruce would prefer them on the training ground fine-tuning systems, set-pieces and combinations. All were second-half substitutes on Saturday.

After the 1-1 draw with Heart of Midlothian, the number of names pencilled into Bruce's starting 11 for the Reebok had apparently not changed from the "eight or nine" beforehand. Importantly, though, none had been scratched off either. Nyron Nosworthy fractured a finger but it is not the sort of injury which should keep a centre-back away from a big game.

One certain starter looks like M[sz]rton Fl|p, but for how long is less certain. Craig Gordon's knee problems have given the Hungarian a clear run in pre-season but Hearts' former skipper is now breathing down his neck - literally at one point.

Gordon's return home involved an hour in the gym, a more public prematch workout on the pitch, then a stint in the Press box. His comeback is expected this week, either behind closed doors at the Academy of Light or at Guiseley tomorrow.

As Fl|p spoke to the media, a beaming Gordon leaned over his shoulder to claim his rival had been "lucky". It was said jokingly, but Fl|p knows the com-petitiois on. Judging by his impressive second-half saves, it could bring the best out of him.

If the giant goalkeeper wanted to show what he can do, he was playing behind the right team.

Having produced a miserly Wigan Ath-letiteam last season, Bruce's aim will be to create similar resilience at the Stadium of Light.

But against a Hearts side which although multi-national is hardly brimming with talent, Fl|p was not protected as he should have been.

We thought Paulo Da Silva, still awaiting his work permit, was the only defender Bruce had signed so far this summer but perhaps he has acquired another on the quiet.

Cana was heralded as the combative midfielder who would prowl in front of Sunderland's back four this season, the role he came off the bench to perform. But when Nosworthy departed 14 minutes later clutching his hand, he slotted in well alongside Anton Ferdinand.

Cana's only twitchy moment came as he chested the ball down in the area when something less graceful might have been better. Ferdinand also produced a moment never on the curriculum at the Steve Bruce school of defending, but his twinkle toes produced a bit of skill which rivalled Jones for the best of the game. Sunderland's starting midfielders were unable to impose themselves. Kieran Richardson and Andy Reid switched positions and while the latter got in the odd dangerous cross, Richardson's runs into the box were even scarcer. The midfield's chief tactic seemed to be slotting the ball into the corners for Darren Bent and Fraizer Campbell to run on to.

They will need more variety when the competitive stuff starts, though in Richardson, Reid and Steed Malbranque, they have players capable of delivering it.

The front two got much-needed minutes, though both could have done with spending theirs alongside Jones, having played and trained together at Tottenham Hotspur last season.

The three were united in the second half, though Bruce admitted it was more to do with necessity than experimenting with 4-3-3. Bent tapped in the debut goal all bigmoney strikers need when Marian Kello failed to hold Phil Bardsley's shot. The fans created a feistier attitude than perhaps the man casually eating chips in a Newcastle United shirt in front of the main stand before kick-off had expected. The plentiful fan-on-fan baiting ratcheted up the on-field intensity, even if the flood of substitutions diluted it. Henderson came closest to overstepping the mark, no bad thing for a youngster.

Bruce might have been more worried that at the beginning and end Hearts were the better side, Suso Santana causing problems down Sunderland's left. The Black Cats were starting to get a foothold when David Obua smashed a shot in off the underside of the crossbar. Hearts should have restored the lead shortly before half-time when Santana volleyed off target in space at a free kick.

HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN (4-4-2): Kello; Jonsson, Bouzid (Zaliukas 47), Gonclaves, Wallace (Kucharski 78); Santana, M Stewart, Palazuelos (Black 67), Obua; Witteveen (Glen 51), Nade. Subs (not used): Balogh, J Stewart, Thomson. Goal: Obua 31.

SUNDERLAND (4-4-2): Fulop; Bardlsey, Nosworthy (Tainio 79), Ferdinand, Collins (McCartney 60); Malbranque (Henderson 55), Leadbitter (Cana 55), Reid (Jones 55), Richardson (Edwards 71); Bent (Healy 80), Campbell. Subs (not used): Carson.

Goal: Bent 40. Referee: Mike Tumilty. Attendance: 12,337.

CAPTION(S):

LOOKING FOR POINTERS Main image, Steed Malbranque pulls away from Hearts' Michael Stewart; above, Sunderland manager Steve Bruce; top, Jordan Henderson gets stuck in.