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Learn Chelsea’s EFL Trophy fate and what the EFL Trophy is

By Ajitesh Rasgotra

PETERBOROUGH, ENGLAND - JULY 23: The Sky Bet EFL logo on a mitre football league ball before the Pre-Season Friendly match between Peterborough United and Leeds United at London Road Stadium on July 23, 2016 in Peterborough, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
PETERBOROUGH, ENGLAND - JULY 23: The Sky Bet EFL logo on a mitre football league ball before the Pre-Season Friendly match between Peterborough United and Leeds United at London Road Stadium on July 23, 2016 in Peterborough, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images) /
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Chelsea accepted an invitation to field an U21 squad in the revamped EFL Trophy and they found out their group stage opponents on Wednesday.

Chelsea discovered their EFL Trophy fate on Wednesday as I rushed to figure out what the EFL Trophy is. Having completely ignored it in the belief that it was a reworking of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, it now turns out that Chelsea are in it.

The teams who they will initially square off with were drawn on Wednesday morning, with the Blues landing in Group C of the Southern section.

To be fair, the EFL Trophy is indeed the new incarnation of the JPT. With the Football League rebranding this season to become the English Football League (EFL), they have overhauled their lower league competition as well.

The EFL Trophy will involve the 48 teams from League One and League Two. They will be joined by 16 invited teams. The step was taken to source these invitees from the Premier League, by offering 16 clubs with Category 1 academies a chance to take part.

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The caveat is that the Premier League outfits must field a minimum of U21 players in their starting elevens. This move is seen as an opportunity to help home-grown talent develop in a fairly competitive environment.

Premier League outfits who decline the invitation will be replaced by Championship sides operating under the same academy restrictions.

The 64 teams are drawn into 16 regional groups, eight in the North section and eight in the South section. Each team will play their fellow group members once and the top two in each group will progress to the knockout stages. The first round of this will be regionalised, before it becomes a free-for-all in the Round of 16.

Chelsea have accepted the invitation and will face League One clubs in Oxford United and Swindon Town, in addition to League Two Exeter City.

The reaction to this new format has been mixed. League One and Two fans have criticised the involvement of Premier League outfits, but those at the top end of the game see this as a good move for English football.

Not all Premier League clubs are on the same page, though, with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City rejecting their invitations. This is largely due to scheduling troubles.

Next: Antonio Conte: Passion greater than “crazy” transfer fees, Matic to stay

What do you think of Chelsea’s involvement? Are you looking forward to seeing some of the youngsters strut their stuff? Sound off in the comments below!

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