Mensah won't sulk if he is dropped
John Mensah is hoping to get the nod from Steve Bruce to stay in the Sunderland side at Wigan Athletic on Saturday – but the Ghana deputy skipper says he will not sulk if he is dropped to the bench.
And he insists that success as a team this season is far more important than the success of any individual.
Mensah was part of a rearguard which stopped Arsenal scoring last week for the first time in the Premier League this season.
But with the influential Michael Turner back from a one-game ban, the Ghanaian knows that he and fellow centre-half Paulo Da Silva cannot rest on their laurels.
He said: "Our coach has a difficult decision to make this weekend over who plays against Wigan but that is a decision which is only up to him.
"The players do not choose the team so we should not concern ourselves with that.
"But it is up to us to make the decision as difficult a one as possible for him by playing to high standards and I think we have done that.
"I hope I stay in the side and if I am asked to start the game then I will be ready. But if I do not start and I am named among the substitutes, that will not affect me.
"I will still believe that I am good enough to start – that is the mentality you have to have if you are on the bench – and if you have that mentality, then if you are asked to come on, you are ready.
"The important thing is that whoever does starts on Saturday, plays well.
"This is a very important season for Sunderland as well as for the players because we are all trying to make Sunderland Football club into a successful football club.
"If Sunderland succeeds, then we all succeed.
"And that is why if I am on the bench or if I start the game, my mentality will be the same – to help Sunderland win another game."
Mensah's appearance against Arsenal was his first start since September, in what has proved to be an injury-disrupted season so far
A series of niggling injuries has restricted the on-loan Lyon defender to just four appearances so far this season.
But he came through the Arsenal game unscathed and says he is ready now for a full 90 minutes.
"I feel good," he told the Echo.
"And the good thing is that I have had no problems afterwards.
"I was substituted towards the end of the game because I was tired and I was beginning to get cramp.
"But I have had no problems with injuries and hopefully I can now be injury-free and get a run in the side.
"We can make these exciting times for the club because we have showed that we can play well against the biggest clubs.
"But we have to look to follow that up with a good performance and result at Wigan this weekend.
"We cannot afford to get too happy with the Arsenal win because we have an important game this Saturday against Wigan and we all know that good teams put winning runs together."