Sunderland’s first-team squad will report to the Academy of Light on Wednesday 8 July for the start of pre-season testing, the club has confirmed. Manager Régis Le Bris begins his second Premier League campaign at the helm, but the group assembling this week will be significantly smaller than usual. Twelve players who featured at the FIFA World Cup have been granted extended leave and will return throughout the month.
The summer schedule opens with a trip to York City on 18 July at the LNER Community Stadium, kicking off at 3pm. A tour of the United States follows, where several of the World Cup contingent are expected to rejoin their teammates. Sunderland also announced a Stadium of Light friendly against Stade Rennais on 15 August, a week before the league opener at Ipswich Town on 22 August.
Academy prospects will step into first-team training to fill the gaps during the early phase. The club enters its 148th season with the extra demand of Thursday-night Europa League football—Sunderland’s first European campaign since the 1973‑74 Cup Winners’ Cup. Le Bris’s side qualified through their league finish last term, and the condensed pre-season reflects the challenge of balancing domestic and continental commitments right from August.
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
