The Bluebirds will face Newport County, Exeter City and Arsenal U21 in the Group Stage of the 2025/26 Vertu Trophy.
All 64 teams will enter from Round One and will be split into 16 regional groups of four teams, eight in the Northern region and eight in the Southern region.
The 16 invited under-21 teams were placed into their respective Northern and Southern regional groups, with the 48 EFL Clubs placed into pre-determined Groups prior to the draw.
Consideration has been given to ensure travel time is minimised and recovery time is maximised for players.
Vertu Trophy Group Stage matches will commence in early September, with dates to be confirmed following the EFL’s Fixture Release Day.

COMPETITION FORMAT
The top two from each group progress to the knockout stages, with Vertu Trophy fixtures remaining regionalised until the Quarter-Final stage.
Matches level after ninety minutes will be determined by penalty kicks up to the Semi-Final stage.
A period of 30 minutes of extra time will be played in the Final should the match be level after ninety minutes. If still level at the end of extra time, the winners shall be determined by penalty kicks.
HOW TO WATCH
The EFL’s record domestic rights deal with broadcaster Sky Sports will see every Vertu Trophy match broadcast live on Sky Sports for fans in the UK.
For further information, please click here.