Sheffield United confirm pre-season plans and announce opponents for four friendlies

Sheffield United will kick-off their pre-season with a training camp in Portugal before returning for a series of friendly matches. The Blades have opponents already in the diary for four dates with one more to confirm.

Manager Paul Heckingbottom was keen to ensure his side has the best possible preparation for the 2022-23 campaign after last summer's pre-season was interrupted by Covid.

He will take his players to Lisbon in early July for a warm-weather training camp, which is expected to include a training game, and then return to the UK for five friendlies, all to be played away from home.

However, one of those teams is still to be confirmed. Sheffield United will start with a behind-closed-doors friendly against Lincoln City at a neutral venue on Tuesday, July 12.

They will then travel to Glanford Park to face Scunthorpe United on Saturday, July 16 for a 12:30pm kick-off.

Another friendly is pencilled in for Tuesday, July 19 but the opposition is still to be confirmed.

A trip to Burton Albion, where Daniel Jebbison enjoyed a fine spell on loan last season, then follows on Friday, July 22, with a 7:30pm kick-off, before a match against Heckingbottom's former club Barnsley follows at Oakwell the following day at 3pm.

The five fixtures take place during an 11-day period and are subject to change with ticket news to follow. The season will officially get under way the following week on Saturday, July 30.