YOUNES KABOUL insists Sunderland cannot afford to worry about what might have been as they prepare for Saturday’s potential relegation decider with Norwich City.

The Black Cats head to Carrow Road four points behind their opponents with six games to play, but the gap would have been significantly smaller had they not tossed away decent positions in a number of their most recent matches.

The Black Cats conceded a stoppage-time equaliser at Southampton and an 83rd-minute leveller against Newcastle, and while last weekend’s game ultimately ended in relatively comfortable 2-0 win to Leicester, Sam Allardyce’s side were on level terms for more than an hour.

The frustration at the events of the last few weeks is understandable, but Kaboul is urging his team-mates not to allow it to detract from their focus ahead of a game that will go a long way towards determining the outcome of the relegation battle.

“We need to look forward and we can’t look back at what might have been,” said the centre-half. “The reality is simple, and we know we need to go to Norwich and win.

“I think it could be us or them, so we need to make sure it’s not us and we will travel to the game with a lot of determination. The fans are special, really special, and I’m sure they will once again cheer us on right until the end.

“Sunday was disappointing because we were in the game in the first half and the second, but when they scored we dropped down a level and we were a different team. There was space in the game, and we had chances to make it 1-1, but we couldn’t do that and now we are fully focused on Norwich and bouncing back with a win.”

One player who not be involved at Carrow Road is Emmanuel Eboue, and after Allardyce initially handed out a lifeline after the defender was issued with a 12-month ban by FIFA, there is now an acceptance that the former Arsenal defender’s contract will not be reissued.

Allardyce suggested Eboue could re-sign if he paid off the debt to former agent, Sebastien Bouisseau, which resulted in FIFA banning him for a year, but there has been no indication of a compromise being close.

Eboue has not spoken to Sunderland officials since his dismissal was confirmed, and will not be returning for the final six games of the season.

“We haven’t heard anything, so I think the writing is on the wall,” said Allardyce, who had personally championed Eboue’s arrival as a free agent. “We’ve not heard hide nor hair of what position he’s in, or if he’s about to settle it or not. I think we’ll have to draw a line under it this week.”