Aiden McGeady has been named in a 25-man squad for Sunderland’s trip to Portugal as he looks to prove his fitness for the opening day of the League One campaign.
The Black Cats’ player of 2018-19 ended the campaign with a broken bone in his foot which delayed the start of his pre-season preparations and caused him to miss Thursday’s opening friendly, a 2-0 win at South Shields. But there is no place for skipper George Honeyman.
McGeady will be on Wednesday’s flight to Portugal along with new signings Lee Burge , Conor McLaughlin and Jordan Willis , and Elliot Embleton, who on Tuesday afternoon signed a new two-year contract to replace the one that expired last month.
Goalkeeper Burge, right-back McLaughlin and centre-back Willis have joined on free transfers this summer.
Max Power is also in the squad, even though he is not expected to be fit for the opening game of the season, at home to Oxford United on August 3. The Merseysider injured his ankle in the play-off final defeat to Charlton Athletic.
Alim Ozturk missed Thursday’s friendly with a stiff neck, while Jon McLaughlin and Bryan Oviedo were given extra time off after their international exploits with Scotland and Costa Rica.
Goalkeeper McLaughlin makes the trip but having been involved in the Gold Cup with Costa Rica, Oviedo has not yet joined up with the Black Cats.
Sunderland are keen to get their highest earner off the wage bill this summer amid reported interest from Brugge, Rosenborg and Copenhagen, but have strongly resisted attempts to lure McLaughlin away after an outstanding debut season on Wearside.
Having ended last season as the first-choice centre-back, Ozturk will be keen to state his case to face Oxford.
Ross experimented with three central defenders at Mariners Park, with Conor McLaughlin making his debut on the right-hand side of the defence. Ross said afterwards he is open to considering different tactical shapes in pre-season as he looks to get more out of the players who finished fifth in League One last season.
There are also places for youngsters Ethan Robson, Benji Kimpioka, Anthony Patterson, Jack Diamond and Ruben Sammut, a centre-back whose signing from Chelsea was billed as being an addition to the under-23 rather than the senior squad.
The reason for Honeyman's absence is not yet known.
The Black Cats play Benfica’s B team on Thursday, before taking on Belenenses on Saturday.
SQUAD: J McLaughlin, Leadbitter, McGeady, Loovens, Ozturk, Watmore, McGeouch, Maguire, O’Nien, Robson, C McLaughlin, Grigg, Burge, Willis, Baldwin, Flanagan, Power, Wyke, Gooch, Kimpioka, Patterson, Embleton, Hume, Sammut, Diamond.
