Sunderland defender Sebastian Coates is in line for a call up against Chelsea.
Sunderland boss Gus Poyet has admitted there is a question mark over whether veteran centre-back Wes Brown can play three such demanding games in just eight days.
That could open the door to a potential first Premier League outing in Sunderland colours for Coates, who joined the club at the end of the transfer window on a season-long loan from Liverpool.
Poyet said: "With Wes, it depends. We are learning, both of us, how to manage the weeks to make sure he gets in perfect condition for the game.
"Normally when it comes to the more senior players - let's not call them old! - you have to have a look. One of the lines you hear in football all the time is 'yeah, he [a manager] treats everybody the same'.
"But that's not possible. If a manager treats everybody the same, you have a massive problem if you are treating a 36-year-old exactly the same way as someone who is 19! That's unrealistic.
"We'll have to look at it. It's a situation we will have to manage."
