Sunderland Under-23s will take to the pitch under the lights at the Stadium of Light on Monday evening, as Burnley are the visitors to Wearside in Premier League 2 action (KO 7pm).
The young Lads will look to respond to last week’s 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Notts County’s Meadow Lane, as all three goals arrived in the last 20 minutes for Andy Reid’s relatively experienced Forest outfit.
Some first-team players may be permitted by Alex Neil to be used by Michael Proctor for the contest as they look to regain match fitness, with Neil’s men now without a competitive match until April.
Regular players such as Jacob Carney, Harrison Sohna and Tom Scott are all expected to feature – as will Vinnie Steels, who made his comeback to full fitness with 45 minutes last Monday. Tyrese Dyce and Benji Kimpioka are being monitored in their return from ankle injuries, whilst youngsters Caden Kelly, Zak Johnson and Henry Fieldson are likely to remain involved in the squad.
Burnley sit 10th in the PL2 Division 2 table, three points ahead of Sunderland albeit with seven matches left to play to the Lads’ five. The Lads masterminded a terrific comeback at the Lancashire FA ground against the Clarets in August, as two from Steels and Sam Wilding’s winner secured a 3-2 win from two down.
Tickets for the match at the SoL are available via the link here – supporters are advised that this is a TICKET-ONLY event, with no cash or card turnstiles available on the night. Only Turnstiles 5-8 will be accessible.
Social media coverage of the contest will be available via the club’s official Twitter account, @SunderlandAFC.