Leeds United set to learn knockout fate as Under 21 competition absence is revealed

The Round One draw for the Carabao Cup and the Group Stage draw for the EFL Trophy will take place live on Sky Sports on June 22, but it has been confirmed that Leeds are not one of the invited Under 21 sides for this season’s Trophy.

Leicester City are the Championship’s only representatives in the Trophy, along with 15 Premier League outfits including champions Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle United. Last season the young Whites exited in the group stage after losing to Crewe Alexandra on penalties in their final game.

Leeds’ second tier league programme will be revealed at 9am on June 22, with the Carabao Cup draw taking place later in the day at 2.30pm. All 72 EFL clubs, including newly promoted Notts County and Wrexham, will be in the draw for the first round. A dozen Premier League outfits who will not compete in European competition will join in round two, and the other eight enter the competition in the third round. Teams will be drawn in Northern and Southern sections in round one, with matches scheduled to take place in the week commencing August 7.

West Ham’s Europa Conference League triumph took the number of Premier League clubs playing in Europe next season to eight and the knock-on effect was a first round Carabao Cup entrance for Leeds, rather than a bye to the second round.

In the 2022/23 competition Leeds beat Barnsley 3-1 at Elland Road in round two but succumbed to Wolverhampton Wanderers away from home in the third round.