NEWPORT County AFC will take on League Two rivals Exeter City and Cheltenham Town in the EFL Trophy group stage.

The 48 teams from League One and Two have already been placed into groups in order to minimise travel for EFL clubs and supporters, with the remaining 16 invited teams drawn into those on Friday afternoon.

County have been paired with the Grecians and the Robins in Group C of the southern section of the competition, formerly known as the Checkatrade Trophy.

The trio will find out which academy side makes up the group when the draw is completed on Friday, live on talkSPORT on the Jim White Show at 12.30pm.

Mike Parry and Perry Groves will be in the studio to make the draw when the Exiles will learn their final opponents.

Michael Flynn’s men will face the under-21 side from either Arsenal, Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea, Fulham, Norwich City, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur or West Ham United.

The competition features a total of 64 teams, made up of the 48 teams from League One and League Two and 16 Category One academy sides.

The teams are split into 16 regional groups of four teams, with eight groups from the northern region and eight from the southern region.

Academy sides will play each of the other three sides in their group away from home, with the top two teams qualifying for the knockout stages, which remain regionalised until the quarter-finals.

The first round of matches in the competition take place in the first week of September.

The final will be played at Wembley on April 5 next year.