:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/33272155/169497877.0.jpg)
Sunderland's development squad are due to fly out to Hong Kong for the start of the Hong Kong Soccer Sevens, the annual, invitational seven-a-side tournament. Kevin Ball's side have been drawn in Group B of the tournament with Chelsea, Kitchee and HKFC Captain's Select.
In last year's tournament, Sunderland reached the semi-final where they were defeated 1-0 by eventual champions Leicester City.
Each team plays the other teams in their group once, with the top two sides in each group advancing to the quarter-final stage, with the losers of the quarter-final entering the Shield stage and the 3rd and 4th placed side in the groups entering the Plate knockout stage.
Confirmed Squad
Jordan Pickford, Andrew Cartwright, David Ferguson, Scott Harrison, Thomas McNamee, Martin Smith, Liam Agnew, Connor Oliver, Carl Lawson, Mikael Mandron.
Groups
Group A
Newcastle United
Guangzhou Evergrande
HKFA U-23
Hong Kong Football Club
Group B
Sunderland
Chelsea
Kitchee
HKFC Captain's Select
Group C
Manchester City
Rangers
HKFA qualifer
Singapore Cricket Club
Group D
Leicester City
Aston Villa
HKFA U-21
Yau Yee League Select
Schedule
All games in the group stage take place this Saturday, 24 March.
Sunderland vs. Kitchee (15.40 Hong Kong Time - 8.40am GMT)
Sunderland vs. HKFC Captain's Select (17.22 HKT - 10.22am GMT)
Chelsea vs. Sunderland (19.38 HKT - 12.38pm GMT)
All the games of the Cup, Shield and Plate knockout stages will take place the following day, Sunday, 25 March and we will update the schedule for those games as soon as the results are known.
