Sunderland's pre-season is almost complete, with tomorrow's behind-closed-doors friendly against Hartlepool United their final outing before next weekend's big kick-off.
By the time the Black Cats begin their League One campaign at home to Oxford United next weekend, they will have played four full warm-up games and two training ground matches.
The training ground games at the Academy of Light, the first an intra-squad affair and the second against Pools, are low profile matches with few if any details released.
But the four full games against Northern Premier League side South Shields, Portuguese teams Benfica B and Belenenses out in Albufeira, and yesterday's Stadium of Light dress rehearsal against Dutch top flight team Heerenveen have been played in front of paying spectators.
And in those games Jack Ross has utilised 30 players, with some given just a few minutes gametime and others playing the equivalent of three complete games.
The starting XI against Heerenveen are all ranked among the top 12 as far as pre-season minutes are concerned, which suggests that the side which lost 1-0 last night will be very similar to the one that lines up on the opening day.
If Ross does make changes against Oxford, youngsters Benji Kimpioka and Elliot Embleton are the two most likely to miss out, but it will depend on the fitness of Duncan Watmore, Chris Maguire, or Aiden McGeady.
Leading the way in terms of gametime is summer signing Conor McLaughlin , who has played a total of 265 minutes, with Will Grigg and Tom Flanagan in joint second-place with 247 minutes apiece.
Grant Leadbitter (238), Denver Hume and Elliot Embleton (both 229) and Dylan McGeouch (222) are the other members of the 200-plus minute club.
At the other end of the scale, youngster Jack Diamond has featured for just five minutes, while the fact that new signing George Dobson joined only on Thursday explains why he has played for only 14 minutes, and striker Marc McNulty is another new arrival which accounts for his 35 minute tally.
Max Power is recovering from an ankle injury which is why he has played just 25 minutes, George Honeyman's knee injury restricted him to only 45 minutes, while McGeady - who has been recovering from a broken bone in his foot - has played no part so far, although he will play against Pools.
Interestingly, only eight players have played a complete 90 minute game - Jon McLaughlin (twice), Conor McLaughlin, Lee Burge , Jack Baldwin, Hume, Embleton, Grigg, and Flanagan (twice).
Aside from McGeady, the only other member of the squad to play no part in the four pre-season friendlies so far is Costa Rican defender Bryan Oviedo , who only returned to Wearside at the end of last week after being given an extended summer break having played for his country in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, and who is set to leave the club this week in any case.
