Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham will learn their opponents for the group stage of the 2019/20 EFL Trophy this afternoon (Friday).
Together with Fulham and West Ham, there are academy sides from five London clubs , which features 16 Category One academies and the 48 clubs from the third and fourth tier of English football.
The 2019/20 season is set to be a landmark one for the EFL Trophy as the 'big six' clubs in the Premier League all compete in the competition for the first time.
Liverpool and Manchester United have entered academy teams into the competition for the first time this season , with the two clubs joining 14 other Category One academy sides in the EFL Trophy, including Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham.
Academy sides first featured in the knockout competition in the 2016/17 season, but Liverpool and Manchester United have not entered until now.
But with those two joining Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs, among others, it means this will be the first season when the top six clubs in the Premier League have all competed in the EFL Trophy.
And the draw for the group stage will be completed today, with the 16 academy sides set to be added, after the 48 sides from League One and League Two were allocated groups in the northern and southern sections of the draw.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham, Spurs and West Ham will all learn their opponents this afternoon, with the draw being made at 12.30pm on Talksport.
These are the ball numbers in the southern section for the academy sides:
1. Arsenal
2. Brighton & Hove Albion
3. Chelsea
4. Fulham
5. Norwich City
6. Southampton
7. Tottenham Hotspur
8. West Ham United
There are eight groups in the Southern Section, each already with three EFL clubs in. These are the pre-determined groups, ahead of the draw, when the academy sides will be added.
Group A
Gillingham
Colchester United
Ipswich Town
Invited Club
Group B
Crawley Town
Portsmouth
Oxford United
Invited Club
Group C
Leyton Orient
AFC Wimbledon
Southend United
Invited Club
Group D
Coventry City
Forest Green Rovers
Walsall
Invited Club
Group E
Exeter City
Cheltenham Town
Newport County
Invited Club
Group F
Swindon Town
Bristol Rovers
Plymouth Argyle
Invited Club
Group G
Stevenage
Milton Keynes Dons
Wycombe Wanderers
Invited Club
Group H
Peterborough United
Cambridge United
Northampton Town
Invited Club
