Brandon Taylor looks set to start tomorrow night as Phil Parkinson prepares to make defensive changes for Sunderland's EFL Trophy game against Carlisle United.
The Black Cats take on the Blues at the Stadium of Light in their second Northern Section Group A game, having thrashed Aston Villa U21s 8-1 in their previous match in this competition.
But Sunderland's central defensive options are severely limited, with Morgan Feeney out for three months with a hamstring injury, the Northern Ireland duo of Conor McLaughlin and Tom Flanagan, and Kosovan Arbenit Xhemajli, are away on international duty, while there is a question mark over Jordan Willis' fitness with Parkinson revealing he is suffering from a knee problem.
Bailey Wright is fit and could play, and Parkinson is likely to draft in Taylor - who played against Villa - but he must then decide whether to risk Willis, bring in another youngster to complete the back three in his normal system, or switch to a back four.
Parkinson said: "There are players I want to give an opportunity to, some of the youngsters, and defensively we are short of players.
"Conor, Flanno [Flanagan], and Arby [Xhemajli] are all away, Morgan Feeney is out for another 12 weeks, and Jordan has a problem with his knee which we will have to look at.
"We'll have a think about it, but there are some senior players who need 90 minutes during the international break.
"There will be spaces open for one or two younger lads to come in because we haven't got a great deal of options."
Parkinson is also likely to use the game to give gametime to players such as George Dobson, who has just completed a three-match suspension after being sent off on the opening day of the season, Max Power who is fit again after recovering from a hamstring problem, goalkeeper Remi Matthews, and youngsters Jack Diamond and Dan Neil.
Charlie Wyke and Will Grigg could also figure after they came on a subs in the weekend draw at Charlton.
