Checkatrade Trophy: Derby matches to form basis of group stages

Plymouth and Exeter faced each other last season in League Two

Derby matches have formed the basis of the Checkatrade Trophy group stages before under-21 invited teams are drawn into them on Wednesday, 12 July.

Three League One and Two teams have been placed in the 16 four-team groups, with space left for an under-21 team, in order to reduce overall travel time.

Peterborough and Cambridge will play each other competitively for the first time since December 2001.

Notts County also face Mansfield, while Exeter will play Devon rivals Plymouth.

Essex sides Colchester and Southend will also come up against each other, as do Crewe and Port Vale and there will be an "El Gloscio" match between Cheltenham and newly-promoted Forest Green Rovers.

The group-stage fixtures, including where they are to be played, is set to be confirmed on Wednesday, with invited under-21 teams to play all group games away from home.

The changes to how group stages were drawn came after fan feedback from last season's competition, when Cheltenham were drawn against Blackpool, Bolton and Everton Under-21s.

Full draw

Northern section

• Group A: Carlisle, Fleetwood, Morecambe, Category One club

• Group B: Accrington Blackpool, Wigan, Category One club

• Group C: Blackburn, Bury, Rochdale, Category One club

• Group D: Crewe, Oldham, Port Vale, Category One club

• Group E: Coventry, Shrewsbury, Walsall, Category One club

• Group F: Bradford, Chesterfield, Rotherham, Category One club

• Group G: Lincoln, Mansfield, Notts County, Category One club

• Group H: Doncaster, Grimsby, Scunthorpe, Category One club

• Category One clubs: Everton, Leicester City, Manchester City, Middlesbrough, Newcastle United, Stoke City, Sunderland, West Bromwich Albion

Southern Section

• Group A: Charlton, Crawley, Portsmouth, Category One club

• Group B: Colchester, Gillingham, Southend, Category One club,

• Group C: Bristol Rovers, Swindon, Wycombe, Category One club

• Group D: Exeter, Plymouth, Yeovil, Category One club

• Group E: Cheltenham, Forest Green, Newport, Category One club

• Group F: AFC Wimbledon, Barnet, Luton, Category One club

• Group G: MK Dons, Oxford, Stevenage, Category One club

• Group H: Cambridge, Northampton, Peterborough, Category One club

• Category One clubs: Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea, Fulham, Reading, Southampton, Swansea City, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United