The numbers represent rounds.

So a name will go with a round (number) but some names know more than one
round.

Name a 1
name b 2
name c 3

name d knows round 1 and 2
name e knows round 2 and 3

Is there an automatic function that would allocate "name d" or "name e" to a
round if "name a, b or c" were not available for that day?

The table would look like this

Name a 1
name b 2
name c 3
name d
name e

Say for example "name a" was not available how would "name d" get allocated
to round 1