Sunderland are in pre-season friendly action when they take on Blackpool on Saturday.
Here are all the details you need to know about the game…
WHERE IS THE GAME TAKING PLACE?
Having returned from their trip to Spain, Sunderland are heading back to the seaside for Saturday’s friendly.
It’s Blackpool rather than Benidorm for the club’s supporters this weekend though, with the Black Cats taking on the Tangerines at Bloomfield Road.
Sunderland’s last trip to Blackpool’s home ground came on New Year’s Day in 2023 and ended in a 1-1 draw thanks to a second-half equaliser from Ross Stewart.
WHAT TIME IS KICK-OFF?
Saturday’s game kicks off at 3pm.
ARE TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE?
Yes – Sunderland have received an allocation of 5,304 away tickets for Saturday’s game and they are currently still available via the ticketing section of the club’s official website.
Tickets for the Blackpool game are priced at £20 for adults, £15 for Over-65s and Under-18s and £10 for Under-14s.
Sunderland are also selling hospitality tickets for the Heineken Lounge at Bloomfield Road priced at £40.
IS THE GAME BEING TELEVISED OR STREAMED LIVE?
The game is not being televised, but a streaming service is available via Sunderland’s official website.
A streaming match pass for the Blackpool game, featuring multi-camera coverage, is priced at £7 and can be purchased at safc.com.
WHAT IS SUNDERLAND’S LIKELY LINE-UP?
Regis Le Bris could opt to hand a first Sunderland appearance to Ian Poveda, with the Colombian winger having joined the Black Cats as a free agent this week following his release from Leeds United.
Le Bris shuffled his pack during the trip to Spain, so perhaps Saturday’s starting line-up will give the first real indication of what the new boss is thinking ahead of the opening Championship game in a fortnight’s time.
Abdoullah Ba could make his first pre-season appearance after recovering from the injury issue that kept him on the sidelines in Spain, but Nector Triantis is expected to be unavailable again.
Dan Ballard will definitely be sidelined, with the defender having undergone a minor operation that will rule him out until next month.
HOW ARE BLACKPOOL SHAPING UP?
Blackpool will be playing their first pre-season home game when they line up against Sunderland.
Neil Critchley’s side, who will be hoping to win promotion from League One next season, beat West Brom 2-1 in a midweek fixture that was staged behind-closed-doors.
One familiar face in the Blackpool ranks is Ashley Fletcher, with the former Sunderland striker having joined the Tangerines earlier this summer after spending last season on loan at Sheffield Wednesday from Watford.
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