SUNDERLAND will take on Premier League opposition as part of their pre-season preparations in Spain when Régis Le Bris' side face Nottingham Forest.

Sunderland will spend a week in Alicante as part of the club's 2024-25 Championship preparations where they face two friendlies at the Pinatar Arena, which is located in San Pedro del Pinatar, Murcia.

Le Bris' side will face Nuno Espírito Santo's Nottingham Forest on Friday, July 19 (7pm) before facing Spanish Segunda side CD Eldense on Sunday, July 21 (7pm).

The fixtures in Spain are part of a seven-game programme before new head coach Le Bris takes charge of his first competitive game in English football when Sunderland travel to face Cardiff City in the Championship's opening game of the season. 

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Le Bris takes up his role on Wearside as of July 1 ahead of the club's first pre-season fixtures on Saturday, July 13 against both South Shields and Gateshead. Sunderland then head out to Spain for a week's warm-weather training camp and two more friendlies before returning home to face Football League opposition with Blackpool on Saturday, July 27 and Bradford City on Tuesday, July 30.

Sunderland will then face one final pre-season friendly on Saturday, August 3 with the opponent yet to be confirmed before the new Championship campaign gets under way a week later. 

As well as their 2024-25 Championship schedule, Sunderland's Carabao Cup first round opponents have also been confirmed with Le Bris' side set to travel to Deepdale to take on Preston North End.

Sunderland's pre-season schedule in full:

Saturday 13 July – South Shields (A)

Saturday 13 July – Gateshead FC (A)

Friday 19 July – Nottingham Forest (A)

Sunday 21 July – CD Eldense (A)

Saturday 27 July – Blackpool (A)

Tuesday 30 July – Bradford City (A)

Saturday 3 August - TBC