Manchester City face a reunion with former first-team manager Mark Hughes, as the Blues academy side have been drawn to face Bradford City in the EFL Trophy.
City are again one of the invited under-21 sides to compete against Football League opposition, having a mixed record in the competition. For the last two seasons, they have failed to exit the group stage, despite an impressive win away at League One side Derby last term, but they reached the quarter-finals in 2019.
Now, they will look to go better than their last two attempts by progressing from a group including Barnsley, Bradford and Grimsby.
City faced Grimsby in the group stage last season, losing on penalties to exit the competition after a 1-1 draw. The League Two outfit survived in their first year back in the EFL, reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals after a brilliant run.
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The young Blues will also travel to Oakwell to take on beaten League One play-off finalists Barnsley. They last travelled to that part of South Yorkshire in 2018 on their run to the 2019 quarter-final, winning on penalties in the second round following an entertaining 3-3 draw.
Finally, City are paired with League Two side Bradford, who lost in the play-offs themselves last season under the guidance of former Blues boss Mark Hughes.
Hughes took over Bradford last year, signing a two-year contract, and will be hoping to secure promotion next term. He was City manager when Sheikh Mansour completed his takeover in 2008, leaving after a year before spells at Fulham, QPR, Stoke and Southampton.
The group stage fixtures will take place in the autumn, starting on the week of September 4. All of City's fixtures will take place away from home as per the competition rules for invited academy clubs.
