The Black Cats beat Lincoln 2-1 in their opening game in Northern Group F and would progress to the knockout stages of the competition with a win at the Stadium of Light.
Clearly promotion from League One is the priority for Sunderland this season, so it’s likely Johnson will hand opportunities to several members of his under-23 squad.
The Black Cats also have a handful of players away on international duty, while there have been injury concerns over the likes of Luke O’Nien, Aiden McGeady, Lynden Gooch, Niall Huggins and Corry Evans.
Like at Lincoln, Sunderland’s squad is set to be made up of a mixture of first-team and under-23 players.
Here’s the starting XI we think Johnson could name to face United’s youngsters at the Stadium of Light.
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The Black Cats also have a handful of players away on international duty, while there have been injury concerns over the likes of Luke O’Nien, Aiden McGeady, Lynden Gooch, Niall Huggins and Corry Evans.