Brighton & Hove Albion Under-21s will discover their 2026/27 EFL Trophy opponents on Thursday, with the draw due to be made live on Sky Sports News.
The academy side are waiting to learn their group-stage path in a competition that again gives Albion’s young players senior football against League One and League Two opposition.
The draw will take place on Thursday 25 June from 2.30pm.
Albion’s Young Squad Set For Senior Test
The update matters because the EFL Trophy is one of the clearest bridges between Premier League 2 development football and the senior game.
Brighton’s pathway is built around testing young players early, and the group draw will shape the first competitive away tests for Shannon Ruth’s next under-21 group.
ReadBrighton has already covered how Perry Northeast’s exit marked another change inside Albion’s academy structure, and this draw gives the men’s under-21 pathway its next marker.
Brighton’s under-21s were placed in the southern section last season, when they met Barnet, Cambridge United and eventual winners Luton Town in Group H.
This year’s draw will set up another run of fixtures where Albion prospects can measure themselves against experienced senior professionals.
For Brighton supporters, it is also an early pointer towards which academy players could push closer to Fabian Hurzeler’s thinking during a demanding season.
