Sunderland suspend Bramble after arrest

Sunderland on Thursday suspended defender Titus Bramble 24 hours after his arrest on suspicion of sexual assault and possession of hard drugs. Bramble, 30, was given bail after police questioning and a club statement said: "Sunderland AFC has confirmed that Titus Bramble has been suspended from duties pending the outcome of a club investigation. "The player will not attend team training or be available for selection for matches during this period. "The club is unable to make any further comment on the matter at present." Bramble will miss Saturday's Premier League meeting with West Bromwich Albion at the Stadium of Light. Cleveland Police questioned Bramble, who lives near Middlesbrough in the northeast of England after his arrest "on suspicion of sexual assault and possession of a class A drug." Bramble, an England under-21 international, started his career at hometown club Ipswich before moving to Sunderland's rivals Newcastle, where he spent five years before a three-season spell at Wigan. He has played three times for the Black Cats this season and played the full 90 minutes in Sunderland's 2-1 defeat at Norwich on Monday.