Crystal Palace Under-21s will return to the EFL Trophy in 2026/27, with their campaign beginning at Swindon Town on Tuesday, 15 September at 19:00 BST.
The competition brings together all 48 clubs from League One and League Two, along with the Under-21 teams of 16 Premier League clubs. Those 64 sides are divided into 16 groups of four, with each section containing three EFL clubs and one Premier League academy.
Palace have been placed alongside Swindon, Plymouth Argyle and Newport County. As the academy side in the group, the Under-21s will play all three of their group matches away from home. After the opening fixture at Swindon, Palace will travel to Plymouth’s Home Park on Tuesday, 22 September, before facing Newport County at Rodney Parade on Tuesday, 3 November. Both matches are scheduled to begin at 19:00 BST.
The points system gives a team three points for a victory. If a match is level after 90 minutes, both teams receive one point, with a penalty shoot-out then awarding an additional point to the winner.
The top two teams in every group advance to the round of 32. Group winners are seeded and receive home advantage when drawn against a group runner-up in that opening knockout round. The competition then follows a straight-knockout format, with the draw split into northern and southern sections until the semi-finals. The final is scheduled to take place at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, 11 April.
