Sunderland handed tricky home tie against Hull City in the curtain-raiser to the 2020/21 campaign

The Tigers were relegated from the Championship last season after a disappointing campaign under Grant McCann, and have former Sunderland skipper George Honeyman among their ranks.

And they will now travel to the Stadium of Light for the curtain-raiser to the new campaign, with League One set to begin a week after this cup tie.

The Black Cats have not faced Hull since January 2018, when Joel Asoro’s strike sealed a 1-0 win on Wearside.

The first round tie will be Sunderland’s first competitive game of the 2020/21 season, with ties currently scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 5.

However, games involving Championship sides could be played as early as Saturday, August 29 given that the following weekend is an international window.

Sunderland's League One campaign will begin on Saturday, September 12 – with fixtures set to be released on Friday morning.

An EFL Trophy game will also be played on September 8/9 as the Black Cats face a busy start to the new season.

The early weeks of the season – including the first round of the Carabao Cup – look set to be played behind closed doors, with current government guidance aiming for a limited return of spectators from the start of October.

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