The Valley pitch was passed as playable following a lunchtime inspection by a local referee on Monday.

The surface will have had a further three days to dry out by kick-off time, though there was further rain in the area on Monday evening. The real problem with staging the game is the heavy rain forecast from around 7.00pm on Tuesday. The MacLeod dome protecting the pitch will be removed on Tuesday afternoon.

The concern has to be the possibility of the game being abandoned or called off very late on. Charlton have asked the referee to arrive as early as possible in a bid to avoid a repeat of the Barnsley scenario. The referee is allowed to take the weather forecast into consideration when making his decision, so Steve Martin will have to think long and hard about what to do.

Barnsley fans who made the fruitless journey to The Valley on Saturday will be given a free ticket for the Tykes game with Blackpool at Oakwell on Saturday.

It is now two weeks since the Addicks last played and this may influence Chris Powell’s team selection. He would almost certainly have played a virtual reserve side had the game gone ahead as scheduled, but will likely field a much stronger team now.

New recruit, Yohann Thuram-Ulien, was signed too late to be available for this game so Ben Alnwick will probably keep the gloves. It may be a little too soon for Ben Hamer to make his comeback.

The heavy state of the Valley pitch means Chris Solly is unlikely to be risked, so Lawrie Wilson will move back. Michael Morrison, Richard Wood and Rhoys Wiggins will probably complete the back four.

Powell will have to find replacements for Wilson and Cameron Stewart on the flanks. Jordan Cook impressed in a second half cameo at Ipswich and may get the nod on the right. Callum Harriott scored twice and created two goals in the development match at Tottenham last week and could return on the left. Powell may feel it is too early to include recent arrival, Astrit Ajdarevic. Jordan Cousins and Dale Stephens will probably be the engine room pairing.

Yann Kermorgant and Simom Church will probably be the front two.

Charlton could look like this:

Alnwick; Wilson, Morrison, Wood, Wiggins; Cook, Cousins, Stephens, Harriott; Kermorgant, Church.

Subs: Hamer, Evina, Dervite, Pritchard, Hughes, Jackson, Pigott.

Staffordshire’s Steve Martin will be the referee.

Despite the current poor state of the Valley pitch, Charlton will be confident of repeating their Capital One Cup victory against Oxford. If they do, they will travel to Huddersfield in the Fourth Round.