Aston Villa under-21s join Portsmouth and AFC Wimbledon in Crawley Town's Papa John's Trophy group

The Reds have been drawn alongside League One outfit Portsmouth, League Two rivals AFC Wimbledon and Aston Villa under-21s in Group B of the Southern Section.

The draw to decide which groups the invited Category One under-21 teams would compete in was conducted today (Thursday, June 23) on Sky Sports News by former Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur defender Michael Dawson and ex-Crystal Palace and Republic of Ireland striker Clinton Morrson.

The draw for the first round of the Carabao Cup will also be conducted on Sky Sports News today at 2.30pm

All EFL clubs will play two of their three Papa John’s Trophy group stage fixtures at home. Games are scheduled to take place in the weeks commencing August 29, September 19 and October 17, although there is some flexibility with those dates.

Fixture dates and ticket information for these fixtures will be released in due course.

Last season saw the Reds fail to win in a game in the tournament. Pitted against Charlton Athletic, Leyton Orient, and Southampton under-21s in Group G of the Southern Section, Crawley finished rock bottom after taking no points from their three games.

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