Luke, we all want to play for potential glory, insists O’Nien

“EVERYONE is going to be wanting to play.”

That was Luke O’Nien’s message ahead of Sunderland’s trip to Oxford United in the last 16 of the Carabao Cup this 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.

However, 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 will not be the case for any of Sunderland’s squad on Tuesday evening.

He said: “The boys are very fit.

“The sport scientists do very well and look after us but I am sure no one is going to be pulling out.

“Everyone’s going to be wanting to play.

“It is the gaffer’s choice for who plays but we have such a deep squad, many quality players, and whoever the manager picks it is going to be a strong squad and we will look to 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 will play wherever I am needed,” insisted the former Wycombe star when asked if he was happy at rightback. “You just have to kind of adjust your thinking a little bit.”