SUNDERLAND manager Peter Reid, hit by four suspensions at Leicester this afternoon, calls up three youngsters into his squad - and stressed last night he would not be afraid to hand them their chances.

Full-back George McCartney, who came on as a substitute full-back in the 1-0 FA Cup Fifth Round defeat at the hands of West Ham United last week, is joined by former England schoolboys captain Ben Clark and midfielder Thomas Butler.

The three are likely to be named as substitutes as the Wearsiders go into the game without England striker Kevin Phillips, skipper Michael Gray and midfield stalwarts Don Hutchinson and Alex Rae.

Reid said: "I am a great believer in young players coming through.

"The reserves played Newcastle on Monday night and we had nine players who had come through the ranks - only Kevin Kilbane and Jurgen Macho had come into the club from other clubs.

"I think people like Ben Clark and George McCartney will become Premiership players so I have no qualms about putting them in.

"The only place you learn is on a football pitch, so get them in."

Reid, who will have consistent central defender Jody Craddock available at Filbert Street, is desperate to end a run of four league games without a win.

But he does not fear that the current disappointing sequence could be a repeat of last season's mid-season fade out after the 5-0 defeat at Everton, when a run of 11 games without a win cost the club a place in Europe.

Reid said: "I don't think it is like last year.

"The results have been disappointing but I have been pleased with some of the performances and I certainly don't feel we have got what we deserved out of games. But that's football and we need to be at our best at Leicester.

"We haven't got a very good record at Leicester, but we didn't have a good record at Southampton or West Ham but we got results there."

But Reid refused to give any clues about his line-up, particularly who will replace Phillips alongside Republic of Ireland international Niall Quinn