"Everyone is going to be wanting to play."
That was Luke O'Nien's message to reporters ahead of Sunderland's trip to Oxford United in the last 16 of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday evening.
Usually a midweek game in the Cup would allow the Black Cats to mix things up and offer some of their fringe players an opportunity to impress.
Secretly, some players would also be glad of the rest away from the physically demanding 46-game League One cycle.
But with the prize of a Carabao Cup quarter-final against one of the Premier League's elite being dangled before them at the Kassam Stadium, O'Nien insists that won't be the case for any of Sunderland's squad on Tuesday evening.
"The boys are very fit," he said.
"The sport scientists they do very well and look after us, but I'm sure no one's going to be pulling out. Everyone's going to be wanting to play.
"It's the gaffer's choice for who plays but we've got such a deep squad, many quality players, and whoever the manager picks is going to be a strong squad and we'll look to go and get the result."
O'Nien was signed as a midfielder and has often featured as an attacking midfielder this term.
However, he has arguably played his best football on Wearside as a right-back and new manager Phil Parkinson has used him there in both of Sunderland's last two games.
"I'll play wherever I'm needed," the former Wycombe star replied when asked if he is happy playing as a right-back.
"You've just got to kind of adjust your thinking a little bit but you've still got to make the best decision when you're on the ball and I'm happy to play wherever."
