NEWPORT County AFC will play Chelsea under-21s, Plymouth Argyle and Swindon Town in the southern section of the 2018-2019 Checkatrade Trophy.

The 48 EFL clubs were placed into pre-determined groups last week, with consideration given to ensure travel time is minimised for supporters and recovery time is maximised for players.

And today’s draw placed Chelsea’s youngsters, who have won the FA Youth Cup five years in a row, in Group C of the southern section alongside the Exiles, Argyle and the Robins.

All EFL clubs will play two of their three matches at home in the group stages.

The first round of fixtures is scheduled to take place the week starting Monday, September 3.

The format for this year’s competition is much the same as last season, with only a couple of small changes to the regulations.

Players from EFL clubs who are out on loan in the National League and below are now eligible to feature in the competition, while invited teams have been restricted to fielding two players over the age of 21 and more than 40 first-team appearances.