The group stage draws for the EFL Trophy will take place this Friday live on talkSPORT.

Leyton Orient will be participating in the competition for just the second time, having played in the first edition of the tournament in the same season they were relegated from League Two in 2016/17.

The O’s finished bottom of their group last time out, which also consisted of Southend United, Stevenage and Brighton & Hove Albion under-23s.

Ross Embleton’s side will be placed with two other clubs from the EFL as well as one of the Category 1 invited clubs.

The group stages, which see 16 groups of four teams, will be regionalised to minimise travel for all clubs, as will the two knockout rounds prior to the quarter-final, where no geographical restrictions will be in place from there onwards.

The first match-week for the competition is scheduled for the week commencing Monday, September 2.