Portugal trip for Sunderland

Sunderland will head for Portugal this summer as they prepare for the Barclays Premier League season.

The Black Cats will face Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon and Vitoria de Setubal in the Albufeira Cup in July.

Roy Keane’s men will take on Sporting, who finished runners-up to Porto in this season’s Super Liga, at the Albufeira Municipal Stadium on Sunday, July 20, and then meet Vitoria de Setubal three days later.

The trip will also allow the Wearsiders to get some warm weather training under their belts before heading into the heat of Premier League battle.

Sunderland have moved quickly to draw up their plans for pre-season with four games now having been confirmed.

They will head for Keane’s first English club, Nottingham Forest, on Wednesday, July 30, and then entertain Dutch aristocrats Ajax on Sunday, August 3.