Sunderland manager Howard Wilkinson will not risk the club's Premiership future for the sake of an FA Cup run ahead of tonight's third-round replay against Bolton Wanderers at the Stadium of Light.
The Wearsiders lie in 18th place in the Premiership, and their relegation battle has taken precedence over a possible fourth-round meeting with Blackburn Rovers.
Phil Babb, Jody Craddock and Paul Thirlwell are the latest additions to Sunderland's casualty list, and all three will miss out against Bolton in the hope that they can make the trip to Everton at the weekend.
Wilkinson is also likely to rest first-choice strikers Kevin Phillips and Tore Andre Flo with the trip to Goodison Park in mind.
Bolton manager Sam Allardyce is also set to make wholesale changes. Striker Michael Ricketts - a target for Tottenham - could return after a hamstring problem.
Bruno N'Gotty (calf), Paul Warhurst (hamstring) and Bernard Mendy (broken leg) might also come into contention.
Allardyce, meanwhile, has called for transfer windows to be scrapped. "The transfer window weakens, dilutes and stops you doing business. It doesn't help the world of football.
"Those big boys who sat in the big chairs, dreaming it up, want to look at themselves. They want to start looking at a field of open business."
Brighton's on-loan Arsenal striker and Republic of Ireland international Graham Barrett hopes to put the club's league woes to one side and re-discover his goalscoring touch in their third-round tie against Norwich.
Boss Steve Coppell has asked for more from Barrett - who has scored just once in 14 matches - and the player is looking to respond immediately.
"I feel Graham has got to contribute more in the box. He does an awful lot of work outside the box," said Coppell.
But Barrett remains supremely confident. "I am sure I'm going to bag a hat-trick soon," he told the club's website. "I feel sharp. That's the way it goes with strikers; you go through a patch without scoring and then get loads."
TONIGHT'S FIXTURES (7.45 unless stated)
ENGLISH FA CUP - Third Round: Norwich v Brighton. Third Round Replay: Burnley v Grimsby, Crewe v Bournemouth, Dag & Red v Plymouth (Live on Sky), Millwall v Cambridge Utd, Reading v Walsall (8.00), Sunderland v Bolton (8.00).
ENGLISH LEAGUE - Division Two: Oldham v Brentford. Division Three: Bristol Rovers v Torquay, Oxford Utd v Darlington, Swansea v Bury, Shrewsbury v Southend.
SCOTTISH CUP - Second Round: Airdrie Utd v Threave Rovers. Second Round Replay: Albion v Queens Park (7.30).
SCOTTISH LEAGUE - First Division: Alloa v Falkirk (7.30).
IRISH LEAGUE - Premier Division: Portadown v Cliftonville. Division One: Armagh City v Limavady TFG.
