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Blues to Face Arsenal U21s in EFL Trophy Group - Ipswich Town News

Arsenal’s U21s will be Town’s third opponents in EFL Trophy southern section Group B.

Yesterday, the Blues, Crawley and Gillingham were named as the three EFL sides in the group yesterday with the invited category one academy U21 sides drawn today.

Former Town manager Paul Hurst carried out the draw on talkSPORT 2 at lunchtime. The U21s sides in the competition play all their games away from home.

Hurst believes the Blues stand as good a chance of anyone of carrying off the trophy.

"Ipswich for me, if they take the competition seriously, with the squad that they’ve got, have to be one of the favourites,” he said. "I know the fans down there would love a day out at Wembley.”

Where the Blues will face Crawley and the Gills and on what dates particular fixtures will take place is yet to be confirmed.

The EFL Trophy, last season the Leasing.com Trophy but with that sponsorship having ended, gets under way in the midweek prior to the Blues’ League One opener on Saturday 12th September.

Following the September start, the second group match will be played on 6th/7th October and the third on 10th/11th November. The round of 32 will be played on 8th/9th January, the round of 16 on 12th/13th January, the semi-finals on 16th/17th February and the final on 14th March.

Last season the Blues reached the quarter-finals before being beaten 2-1 at Exeter City.

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