Rose had a hamstring problem and returned to Spurs for treatment.
But he returned to Wearside and featured in a friendly clash with the development squad at the Academy of Light.
Martin O’Neill: “Danny had trained down at Tottenham, who wanted to keep him down there until he was properly fit and ready to join in on a regular basis.
“We had a little game behind closed doors where a lot of the players I felt needed some football played against some of the younger lads.
“That gave me an opportunity to study both [sets of players].
“Danny played in the game, which should help him psychologically knowing he’s played some part of a competitive game - and he feels not too bad about it.”