Roy Keane has had to resort to desperate measures to get his injury-ravaged side through to the end of the season.
With Sunderland currently locked in a relegation dogfight at the foot of the Premier League, Keane has seen his squad decimated by a seemingly endless run of injuries.
Keane will also be hoping that his international players all return with a clean bill of health after the midweek fixtures.
"We are wrapping players in cotton wool now," Keane told the Sunderland Echo.
"We are looking to shorten our training sessions and making sure we are ready more for match days.
"The fitness is already there now and we want to just keep them ticking over.
"There have been times too in the past when we've left a bit too much on the training pitches and not been at our sharpest for games.
"So changing that way of training should mean fewer injuries and I do feel that we are due a spell where we won't be picking up as many injuries as we have done in the first six months of the season.
"Of course you can't legislate for injuries and the chances are as soon as you get one back, you'll get another out.
"But when we do get some of these important players back in the weeks ahead I think we'll certainly have a squad that can do well for us this season."