The EFL has confirmed that the group stage draw for the EFL Trophy will take place on Wednesday, July 27 at 10am.
Coverage of the draw will be via @EFLTrophy on Twitter, with sixteen sides with Category One Academies announced thirty minutes prior at 9.30am.A total of 64 clubs will compete in the competition beginning with 16 groups of four teams, each of which will include at least one club from each of Leagues One and Two, along with one invited team. The top two sides in each group will then go into a knockout stage that will culminate in a showpiece final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday 2nd April.
The new look competition also has an enhanced prize fund with an expected £1.95m up for grabs, including £10,000 per win and £5,000 per draw during the Group Stage as well as £100,000 for the eventual winner.
Reading have already announced on their official website that they are one of the invited sides to have accepted an invitation to the competition. The group stage draw will be regionalised into northern and southern sections.
The draw will be conducted by Preston North End manager Simon Grayson.