JOHN O’SHEA will return to Sunderland’s back four for tomorrow’s home game with Swansea City as Younes Kaboul has been ruled out with an injury.

Kaboul has sustained a knee problem that will rule him out of the game with the Swans, meaning O’Shea will come back into the starting line-up to partner Sebastian Coates at the heart of the back four.

Dick Advocaat would almost certainly have been contemplating defensive changes anyway in the wake of last weekend’s horror show against Norwich City, but Kaboul’s unavailability means the decision has now been taken out of his hands.

“Kaboul is not in the squad because he has some problems with his knee,” said Advocaat. “For the rest, comparing with last week, everybody is fit.

“(Jordi) Gomez is still out, but he will play on Sunday and Wednesday in the Under-21s.”

Advocaat presided over a clear-the-air meeting with his squad on Sunday, and has told his players they will have to show much more resolve when they take on a Swansea side that comfortably brushed aside Newcastle United last weekend.

“The spirit is something we have discussed,” he said. “This team has to go to the edge fighting wise and spirit wise, and we didn’t do that.

“If we don’t do that, then they miss a lot. They understand totally that we have to fight from the first to the last minute to get a result, but also to get the fans behind us and we will do that against Swansea, there is no doubts about that.”