National League champions Chesterfield among City U21s EFL Trophy group opponents | OneFootball

City’s Under-21s now know the three teams who will make up Group G in the 2024/25 Bristol Street Motors Trophy.

Brian Barry-Murphy’s young charges will take on three EFL clubs in the group stage of the draw.

Our opponents are newly-promoted League 2 side Chesterfield, fellow League 2 side Grimsby Town and League One’s Lincoln City.

City are one of 16 Category One Academy clubs joining League One and League Two clubs in the new campaign’s tournament.

The 16 U21 Premier League sides join 48 EFL clubs in regional groups and the competition is seen as giving younger players  game-time against experienced senior sides outside the top flight.

The top two sides will progress from each group into a knockout phase, which remains regionalised until the quarter-final stage.

Up until the semi-finals, any drawn games will be settled by penalty kicks and no extra time will be played.

City U21s faced Grimsby Town at the same stage last season, drawing 2-2 at Blundell Park before triumphing 4-2 on penalties.

Defeats to Barnsley and Bradford City ended our interest in the competition, won by Peterborough United at Wembley last April.

All Premier League U21 teams will play their matches away from home.

Northern groups:

Group A: Stockport, Tranmere, Accrington, Everton U21

Group B: Wolve U21, Salford Wrexham, Port Vale

Group C: Carlisle, Wigan, Morecambe, Nottingham, Forest U21

Group D:  Barrow, Bolton, Fleetwood, Aston Villa U21

Group E: Blackpool, Crewe, Harrogate, Liverpool U21

Group F: Barnsley Doncaster Huddersfield Town, Man United U21

Group G: Chesterfield, Grimsby Town, Lincoln City, Manchester City U21

Group H: Bradford, Mansfield, Rotherham, Newcastle U21

Southern groups to follow…

Fixture dates for all matches will be published in due course.