Exactly what happened and who impressed as Sunderland under-23s reach play-off final with Stoke City victory
Sunderland’s under-23 side are potentially just two games away from promotion – as they head to Stoke City in a promotion play-off semi-final.
The Black Cats’ second string have enjoyed a remarkable campaign and finished their regular season in fifth place in Premier League 2 Division 2.
That meant Elliott Dickman’s side now head into the play-offs where they will face a Stoke City side who finished second in the league – with the winners going on to face either Wolves or Crystal Palace in the final.
2,000 fans are set to attend the game as COVID-19 restrictions ease.
Sunderland are likely to include the likes of Josh Hawkes, Dan Neil and Oliver Younger in their squad, while Lee Johnson could opt to use the clash as an opportunity to hand minutes to some returning first-team players.
We’ll be providing lupdates from the clash at the Bet365 Stadium throughout the evening, with team news, analysis and more from the play-off game.