City learn EFL Trophy group stage opponents | OneFootball

Manchester City’s Under-21s have been drawn against Bolton, Oldham and Rotherham in the group stages of the 2025/26 EFL Trophy.

Ben Wilkinson’s youngsters have been placed into Group E of the Northern section of the competition.

After topping Group D, League One side Bolton overcame Huddersfield and Lincoln before a quarter-final exit at the hands of Wrexham. In the league, the Greater Manchester side finished eighth with 68 points.

Fellow League One outfit Rotherham also reached the quarter-finals of the competition in 2024/25. They fell to a 1-0 defeat at home to Bradford and also struggled to find consistent form throughout the season as they went on to finish 13th with 16 wins from 46 games.

And after being promoted to League Two, Oldham will compete in the EFL Trophy for the first time since 2021/22.

2024/25 was a fantastic season for the Latics who secured their place in the National League play-offs with a fifth-place finish. A 3-2 extra-time win in front of over 50,000 fans at Wembley saw them confirm their return to the EFL in June.

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In last season’s outing in the Vertu Trophy, City earned two points following our draw and penalty shoot-out win over Grimsby Town. Defeats to Chesterfield and Lincoln saw our campaign end at the group stage.

The first game of the group stage will commence in early September. Keep across mancity.com and the Official Man City App for updates on precise dates and kick-off times for the three fixtures.

draw in full

Northern section:

Group A: Salford, Stockport, Wigan, Wolves U21s

Group B: Barrow, Blackpoo, Tranmere, Nottingham Forest U21s

Group C: Bradford, Doncaster, Grimsby, Everton U21s

Group D: Barnsley, Lincoln, Notts County, Manchester United U21s

Group E: Bolton, Oldham, Rotherham, Manchester City U21s

Group F: Harrogate, Huddersfield, Mansfield, Newcastle U21s

Group G: Accrington, Fleetwood, Port Vale, Leeds U21s

Group H: Burton, Chesterfield, Crewe, Liverpool U21s

Southern section:

Group A: Cardiff, Exeter, Newport, Arsenal U21s

Group B: Bristol Rovers, Cheltenham, Plymouth, Tottenham Hotspur U21s

Group C: Northampton, Shrewsbury, Walsall, Chelsea U21s

Group D: MK Dons, Reading, Swindon, West Ham U21s

Group E: AFC Wimbledon, Bromley, Stevenage, Crystal Palace U21s

Group F: Crawley, Leyton Orient, Peterborough, Aston Villa U21s

Group G: Colchester, Gillingham, Wycombe, Fulham U21s

Group H: Barnet, Cambridge, Luton, Brighton U21s