WITH Britain currently tackling soaring temperatures, Sunderland manager Alex Neil remains unfazed by the impact of the heatwave with his side back in pre-season action tonight.

The Black Cats travel further south to face League Two Bradford City at Valley Parade where temperatures are set to reach 38 degrees.

There will be provisions put in place for the game with regular drinks breaks set to remain with players having to cope with the intense heat in Yorkshire.

Whilst it will be a challenge for the players, Neil was quick to point out that his players are not alien to the heat after their week-long training camp in Albufeira.

“The likelihood is that the first month of the season is going to be played in high temperatures as it always is” said Neil. “You can guarantee first day of pre-season when you have had a good summer, it’s baking hot when you’re a player and the first game of the season is going to be baking hot.

“If anybody was at the Portugal game against Roma, that was certainly hot so today (Dundee United) was mellow in comparison to that.”

Neil is set to rotate his squad tonight from their 2-0 friendly win over Dundee United at the weekend as he looks to try out a different formation before the start of the season.

Sunderland only used two substitutes at Tannadice Park and the players who didn’t feature in that win are likely to get game time with less than two weeks to go before the start of the season.