The right-back's loan spell is over at Sheffield United, where boss Bryan Robson is keen to recruit him full-time.

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But Keane is also believed to be interested in the 22-year-old and might look to bolster his defence with another signing from his former club.

Keane is hoping to bring new faces to the Stadium of Light before the end of the January transfer window after suffering the blow of losing midfielder Kieran Richardson for three weeks to a hamstring injury picked up in training last week.

"Kieran was really getting his match sharpness back after a major setback with his back injury," Keane added.

"We seem to take one step forward and two back at the moment, whether that be football results or injuries. We're missing Grant (Leadbitter), he is out for two to three weeks with a broken toe. Danny Higginbotham is out for four to six weeks. That is the challenge we face.

"Kieran is one of our more quality players but I felt the players that came in on Saturday did a good job. But a player like Kieran, and Kenwyne Jones and even Carlos Edwards, we miss that quality without a doubt.

"We'll presevere. Perseverance is possibly the biggest word you can use in football. You get setbacks and the 5result on Saturday was a disappointment but life goes on and makes the next match even bigger."