The strict EFL Trophy squad selection rules Phil Parkinson must follow as he looks to rotate his Sunderland squad

In a bid to ensure teams field strong teams in the tournament, the EFL have regulations in place to ensure that weakened teams cannot be fielded.

Here, we take a look at those rules – and others at play in the competition – and what they mean for Sunderland:

What are the EFL Trophy squad selection rules?

EFL regulations state that each club must field their ‘Full Available Strength’ in and during all EFL Trophy matches.

In this competition, ‘Full Available Strength’ means that at least four players on the field at any one time must be what the EFL designate a ‘Qualifying Player’.

What is a ‘Qualifying Player’ in the EFL Trophy?

A player becomes a ‘Qualifying Player’ if they hit any one of the following conditions:

- The player started for Sunderland against Hull City

- The player goes on to start for Sunderland against Bristol Rovers

- The player has made over 40 senior appearances during their entire career, not just at Sunderland

- The player is in the list of ten players Sunderland with the highest number of starting appearances in first team fixtures in the same season

In truth, it should be fairly easy for Sunderland to field four ‘Qualifying Players’ given that the likes of Grant Leadbitter, Remi Matthews, Josh Scowen and Charlie Wuke – all of whom are in line to feature – will count as such players.

What happens if the EFL Trophy squad selection rules are broken?

If a club does not start with – or at any time during the game fails to have – four ‘Qualifying Players’ on the field, then they can be fined.

Fines can reach up to £5,000.

What happens if Sunderland draw with Aston Villa U21s?

In more general EFL Trophy rules, it’s worth remembering the quirks of the competition.

In the group stages, if games are drawn then the fixture will go to penalties where teams will compete for a ‘bonus point’.

Otherwise, it is the standard three points for a win and one point for a draw – with nothing on offer for the beaten side.

What prize money could Sunderland earn from the EFL Trophy?

The prize money on offer in the EFL Trophy is a major incentive for many clubs.

Sunderland will have received £20,000 for entering the competition and could net a further £10,000 if they beat Aston Villa in 90 minutes.

£5,000 is on offer if a game is drawn.

The prize pot increases further as the competition draws on – hence why Charlie Methven claimed the Black Cats’ run to Wembley in 2019 was worth close to £1million once all factors were taken into account.

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