Sunderland will kick start their 2022/23 Premier League 2 Division 2 campaign on the road to Norwich City on Friday, August 12, with kick-off at 2pm. The Black Cats will then take on Aston Villa on Monday, August 15.
The newly revamped competition is changing from Under-23 to an Under-21 competition to reflect the age of the players in the competition, with the current average age at 19-years-old.
The change is part of an ongoing review of the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) to try and better align with the EFL Trophy and international competitions. Each team will still be able to field a goalkeeper over the age limit and up to five "over-age" outfield players in every match.