Charlton boss Lee Bowyer says even Barcelona would struggle with the injury crisis that has decimated his squad.
The Addicks will be without as many as 12 first-team players when they play Hull at the Valley on Friday night.
Charlton have dropped from second to 17th in the Championship after an alarming run of nine matches without a win.
Josh Cullen, Jake Forster-Caskey and Beram Kayal are sidelined, but Bowyer will be able to call on returning striker Lyle Taylor.
The Charlton boss said: “If you took 12 players out of any squad... even if you took Lionel Messi out of Barcelona’s squad and a lot of their starting players, it would be difficult.
“We have the smallest budget [in the Championship], so we need our players to be fit and able to compete, and even then it was difficult for us. We’re down to the bare bones.”
