Blackpool are awaiting to discover the fourth club of their EFL Trophy group - but one Premier League giant has ruled out their academy side.
The first part of the draw took place earlier this week, with the first round of the competition due to get underway on the week commencing September 21.
Ian Evatt’s side were placed in Northern Group B alongside fellow third tier outfit Wigan Athletic and Crewe Alexandra from League Two.
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The remainder of the draw will confirm which Premier League U21 team will join the Seasiders and their two other opponents.
This will take place live on Sky Sports News at 2.30pm on Thursday afternoon - following the release of the league fixtures for the Championship, League One and League Two.
Manchester United’s youngsters will not be among those involved, with the Red Devils opting not to enter the EFL Trophy or National League Cup for the 2026/27 campaign due to their participation in the UEFA Youth League and having a smaller squad size.
On the Northern side of the draw, this leaves Aston Villa U21, Everton U21 , Leeds United U21, Liverpool U21, Manchester City U21, Newcastle United U21, Nottingham Forest U21 and Sunderland U21 as Blackpool’s potential third opponent.
Here’s the full EFL Trophy draw so far:
Group A (Northern section): Sheffield Wednesday, Salford City, Accrington Stanley.
Group B (Northern section): Blackpool, Wigan Athletic, Crewe Alexandra.
Group C (Northern section): Bradford City, York City, Rotherham United.
Group D (Northern section): Mansfield Town, Chesterfield, Port Vale.
Group E (Northern section): Stockport County, Tranmere Rovers, Shrewsbury Town.
Group F (Northern section): Burton Albion, Notts County, Grimsby Town.
Group G (Northern section): Barnsley, Oldham Athletic, Fleetwood Town.
Group H (Northern section): Huddersfield Town, Doncaster Rovers, Rochdale.
Group A (Southern section): Oxford United, Cheltenham Town, Exeter City.
Group B (Southern section): Leicester City, Walsall, Stevenage.
Group C (Southern section): Reading, Bristol Rovers, Wycombe Wanderers.
Group D (Southern section): Luton Town, Peterborough United, Colchester United.
Group E (Southern section): Plymouth Argyle, Swindon Town, Newport County.
Group F (Southern section): AFC Wimbledon, Leyton Orient, Barnet.
Group G (Southern section): Cambridge United, Gillingham, Northampton Town.
Group H (Southern section): Bromley, Crawley Town, MK Dons.
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