Sunderland could face Manchester United & Liverpool's U21s in the EFL Trophy next season
The pair join youth teams from Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Arsenal in next year’s competition - meaning the Premier League’s top six teams last season will be represented.
Sunderland reached the competition’s final at Wembley last March but following a thrilling 2-2 draw were beaten by Portsmouth on penalties.
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Hide AdThe draw for the group stage will take place in July with the first round of fixtures scheduled to take place in the first week of September.
EFL executive chair Debbie Jevans said: “The EFL Trophy continues to grow and we are delighted to welcome Liverpool and Manchester United U21s to the competition.”