SUNDERLAND’S away game at Fleetwood Town is likely to be postponed because of the potential for multiple international call-ups depleting the Black Cats squad.

Sunderland are due to travel to Fleetwood on Saturday, March 23, with the game falling in the middle of the next international window.

Aiden McGeady and Jimmy Dunne were named in the provisional Republic of Ireland squad earlier today, with former Sunderland boss Mick McCarthy selecting the duo for his side’s games against Gibraltar and Georgia.

Sunderland can call for a postponement if they have three or more players selected for international duty, and that threshold is likely to be met.

Will Grigg is a regular with Northern Ireland, while Jon McLaughlin, Tom Flanagan and Lynden Gooch have also been selected for international duty during their Sunderland careers.

Jack Ross is understandably reluctant to move another game closer to the end of the season, with this week’s Checkatrade Trophy semi-final win already have required changes to proposed fixtures against Burton Albion and Accrington Stanley.

However, if both McGeady and Grigg are selected for international duty, the Black Cats boss will almost certainly call for the Fleetwood game to be rearranged.

He said: “We’ll have to see. We’ve got the Burton game now that’s had to be rearranged, and if you add in Accrington and the events around that match, we’ve had a lot of challenges in that respect.

“I can’t complain about the Burton game because it comes as a result of us being successful in another competition, and to a degree, the international call-ups are a reflection of individual players doing well also.

“It’s something we’re aware of. We quite often have a number of players being considered for selection. I suppose the frustrating thing from a club manager’s point of view is that maybe the confirmation of selection could be done earlier, that would be helpful. Then you would know exactly where you were at and you’d be able to make a decision with clarity.

“At the moment, we’ve got a moment of important players who are being considered for selection by their countries, so we have to make a sensible decision on that.”