Wednesday 27 July 2016 16:28, UK
Chelsea and West Ham are among the Premier League clubs to have entered their academy sides into this season's EFL Trophy.
The Stamford Bridge side won last season's UEFA Youth League and FA Youth Cup - beating Manchester City in the final - while West Ham's youth programme is regarded as one of the best in the country.
Premier League champions Leicester are also participating along with Everton, Sunderland and Southampton.
West Brom, Stoke, Middlesbrough and Swansea are the other top-flight teams, while Championship outfits Brighton, Norwich, Blackburn, Wolves, Derby and Reading will take part.
Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool are among those who have declined the opportunity to play.
Chelsea will play in Southern Group C, where they will take on Swindon Town, Exeter City and last season's losing finalists Oxford United.
West Ham, meanwhile, will take on Coventry City, Wycombe Wanderers and League Two winners Northampton Town.
The revamped competition will see the academy teams start in the new first round group phase, which has a total of 64 teams playing in 16 four-team sections.
They will be regionalised with one of the category one sides going into each pool with at least one club from each of League One and League Two.
Teams will only play each other once, either at home or away, meaning three matches at that stage of the competition.
If teams draw after 90 minutes, a penalty shoot-out will take place and the team which wins will take two points from the fixture.
The losing side will take one and the top two teams from each section go through to the 32-team knockout second round.
First round Northern groups
Group A: Everton, Bolton Wanderers, Cheltenham Town, Blackpool
Group B: Wolverhampton Wandereres, Chesterfield, Crewe Alexandra, Accrington Town
Group C: Stoke City, Bradford City, Morecambe, Bury
Group D: Blackburn Rovers, Fleetwood Town, Carlisle United, Oldham Athletic
Group E: Derby County, Port Vale, Doncaster Rovers, Mansfield Town
Group F: Sunderland, Rochdale, Hartlepool United, Notts County
Group G: Middlesbrough, Scunthorpe United, Cambridge United, Shrewsbury Town
Group H: Leicester City, Sheffield United, Grimsby Town, Walsall
First round Southern Groups
Group A: Reading, Bristol Rovers, Portsmouth, Yeovil Town
Group B: Swansea City, AFC Wimbledon, Newport County, Plymouth Argyle
Group C: Chelsea, Swindon Town, Exeter City, Oxford United
Group D: West Ham United, Coventry City, Wycombe Wanderers, Northampton Town
Group E: Southampton, Charlton Athletic, Colchester United, Crawley Town
Group F: Norwich City, Peterborough United, Barnet, Milton Keynes Dons
Group G: Brighton and Hove Albion, Southend United, Stevenage, Leyton Orient
Group H: West Bromwich Albion, Millwall, Luton Town, Gillingham
Chelsea have been priced up by Sky Bet as 10/1 favourites to win the EFL Trophy.
Southampton (14/1), Middlesbrough and Sunderland (both 16/1) also feature at the head of the betting.
West Ham can be backed at 20/1, while Leicester and Everton are among 13 contenders at 25/1.
That's where you can find Charlton, MK Dons and Sheffield United from Sky Bet League One.
Portsmouth are the top side from Sky Bet League Two in the odds at 33/1.
