The sixteen U21 teams have been announced for the 2018/2019 Checkatrade Trophy (Football League Trophy).
They are:
The full list of invited Under 21 sides is as follows:
| Arsenal | Newcastle United |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | Southampton |
| Chelsea | Stoke City |
| Everton | Swansea City |
| Fulham | Tottenham Hotspur |
| Leicester City | West Bromwich Albion |
| Manchester City | West Ham United |
| Middlesbrough | Wolverhampton Wanderers |
EFL Chief Executive, Shaun Harvey, said: “Feedback from all levels of the game is indicating that the competition is starting to reap the benefits that we all envisaged at the outset of the revamp and I’m confident the format will continue to prosper with increasing support from clubs and their fans.
“The Checkatrade Trophy will continue to provide young players, from invited teams and EFL clubs alike, with a unique opportunity to experience first-team football and I look forward to seeing the stars of 2018/19 emerge as the competition progresses.
“Last season, we had the success of Lincoln City, who stated from the outset that the Checkatrade Trophy is a competition that they wanted to win. I was delighted for the club’s fans when they made it to Wembley for the first time in their history. Of equal significance will have been the financial return the club achieved from the competition, of over £500,000.
“The 48 EFL clubs from League One and Two all received a financial boost from the 2017/18 competition and I am confident the increasing profile, as evidenced once again by the inclusion of yet another of English football’s biggest names, will help to encourage more fans to get behind their team in this unique competition format.”