Arca: I'll give my all for Sunderland

Fit-again Julio Arca has promised he'll do everything he can to help Sunderland get automatic promotion this season after the personal disappointment of missing out on selection for the Olympics.

Arca was omitted from the Argentinian football squad recently named for the Athens Olympics - but the player's personal disappointment is almost certainly collective joy for Sunderland supporters; had Arca been selected and his country progressed to the final of the event, he stood to miss a maximum of seven games for Sunderland, including the club's first round Carling Cup match.

Julio said, "It was an ambition of mine to be named by the coach. Like every player, I want to play for my country. The Olympics is a very big tournament and it would have been a big honour to play in it.

"To not be going is disappointing but that is the decision. All I can do is give my all for Sunderland and try to help the team make a good start. I think we can be successful this year.

"Automatic promotion is our aim - we gave it everything last season and it was no disappointing not to go up. This time we will do our best to avoid the play-offs and go up as one of the top two. Everybody at the club wants to be back in the Premiership and that is what I'm focusing on now."