Colchester United will face Southampton under-21s this season, after the final groups for round one of this season's Checkatrade Trophy were confirmed today.

The Saints have completed Group B, joining the U's, Southend United and Cambridge United.

It will see a repeat of Colchester's game against Southampton in the competition back in October 2016, which the U's lost 2-1.

Former competition winners Paul Heckingbottom and Gregor Robertson picked out the 16 Invited under-21 teams, who were drawn into the Northern and Southern sections of the competition.

As with 2017/18, the Groups in the Checkatrade Trophy have been arranged so that EFL Clubs and their fans face the minimum overall travelling time to matches, whilst the Premier League and Championship’s Invited U21 teams will play all their Group games away from home.

Newcomers to the competition Arsenal U21s have been placed in Southern Group E, with last year’s semi-finalists Chelsea U21s being handed trips to Newport County, Plymouth Argyle and Swindon Town.

Last season’s winners of the competition Lincoln City will start their defence of the Checkatrade Trophy by trying to negotiate their way out of a Group that includes Mansfield Town, Scunthorpe United and Wolverhampton Wanderers.