SAM ALLARDYCE is being kept informed about the fitness of John O’Shea as the Sunderland defender pushes to make a return to action for his country.

O’Shea missed Ireland’s Euro 2016 play-off qualifier in Bosnia because of a hamstring injury but manager Martin O’Neill has suggested he could return for the return leg in Dublin tonight.

Allardyce will be happy enough to see the 34-year-old turn out for his country if he is 100 per cent fit, although he will be keeping an eye on the situation.

The Sunderland boss had expected O’Shea to make his first appearance since hobbling off with the injury on October 25 against Southampton, only for him to suffer a recurrence on the eve of the game.

That put O’Shea’s place in serious doubt in the Ireland squad for the crucial qualifying double header, but O’Neill was desperate to have the experienced defender on board.

And with Ireland still with it all to do after the 1-1 draw in foggy Zenica on Friday, O’Shea will be a key part of the plans provided he can prove his fitness and suffers no late set-backs. He would have missed the first leg through suspension anyway.

O’Neill, also hoping Jon Walters and Shane Long available, said: “We have a number of people to choose from including Jon Walters and John O’Shea.”

Allardyce had stated before the international break that he felt both of Ireland’s games would come too soon for O’Shea, so he will be concerned of a further set-back if the defender does play.

Sunderland have an extra 48 hours to prepare for this week’s game, given that the Premier League trip to Selhurst Park will take place next Monday night.

Allardyce is working on ways to build on the defensive improvements his team showed in the defeat to Southampton by making sure his team possesses a greater threat in the final third.

Fabio Borini, the £9m forward, could be thrown back into the starting line-up at Crystal Palace after starting the defeat to the Saints on the bench.

But he came through his second half outing unscathed after his own injury problem, and he has caused something of a stir over the weekend by revealing how he goes about earing penalties.

Borini, speaking on BT Sport, said: "As a striker I will use the goalkeeper to get the penalty, I know that I touched the ball and that he is coming out so I will keep running and hit the goalkeeper and probably go down and that's a free-kick (or penalty) because there is contact."