Grimsby Town have been drawn against Nottingham Forest Under-21s in the Group Stage of the 2026/27 EFL Trophy.
The Premier League academy side complete Northern Group F, joining the Mariners, Burton Albion and Notts County in this season’s competition.
The draw took place live on Sky Sports News this afternoon and determined the Premier League Under-21 team allocated to each regional group.
Northern Group F
The Mariners’ Group Stage opponents are:
- Grimsby Town
- Burton Albion
- Notts County
- Nottingham Forest U21
Fixture dates and ticket information for the Group Stage matches will be confirmed in due course.
Competition Format
The EFL Trophy will once again feature 64 teams, comprising all 48 clubs from Sky Bet League One and Sky Bet League Two alongside 16 invited Premier League academy teams.
The competition is divided into Northern and Southern sections, with clubs placed into regional groups to minimise travel and maximise player recovery time.
Each group consists of four teams, with the top two progressing to the knockout stages.
The competition remains regionalised until the Quarter-Final stage.
Should Group Stage matches finish level after 90 minutes, the winner will be determined by a penalty shootout, with an additional point awarded to the shootout winner.
Key Dates
The round dates for the 2026/27 EFL Trophy are:
- Group Stage – From early September
- Round of 32 – Week commencing 7 December
- Round of 16 – Week commencing 11 January
- Quarter-Finals – Week commencing 15 February
- Semi-Finals – Week commencing 8 March
- Final – Sunday 11 April
As part of the EFL’s domestic broadcast agreement with Sky Sports, every match in this season’s competition will be shown live on Sky Sports.
Further details regarding fixture dates and ticket arrangements will be announced as soon as they are confirmed.
UTM
