Sunderland depart for Peace Cup

Sunderland have departed for South Korea without, as expected, two senior defenders.

Full-back Phil Bardsley and centre-back Matt Kilgallon have both failed to make the cut due to injury and have been left behind in the UK.

However, a number of youngsters have been included in Martin O'Neill's 23 for the trip, including winger Billy Knott, defenders Blair Adams, Louis Laing, John Egan, forwards Adam Reed, Ryan Noble, Craig Lynch and Roarie Deacon as well as goalkeeping duo Ben Wilson and Jordan Pickford.

Players who have been in international action over the summer have also been left behind and those include Stephane Sessegnon, Sebastien Larsson, John O'Shea, Kieran Westwood, James McClean and Ahmed Elmohamady.

Goalkeepers: Simon Mignolet, Jordan Pickford & Ben Wilson.

Defenders: Blair Adams, Titus Bramble, Wes Brown, Carlos Cuellar, John Egan, Louis Laing & Michael Turner.

Midfielders: Lee Cattermole, Jack Colback, Craig Gardner, Roarie Deacon, Billy Knott, David Meyler, Adam Reed, Kieran Richardson & David Vaughan.

Forwards: Frazier Campbell, Craig Lynch Ryan Noble & Connor Wickham.

Speaking to The Official Site, O'Neill saw the trip as being highly beneficial for all:

'We're taking quite a group of players, with a number of younger ones too.

'Some might get the opportunity to play in the matches and they will be training with the senior players.'

The gaffer continued:

'The aim is to get the players as fit as possible, but it's not like in my time!

'I think things have become a wee bit more scientific since then. In my day, you were rushed in, did six or seven miles on the first day and didn't see a football for the first week.'

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